Lyon secured their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating Fiorentina with a counter-attacking masterclass at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Jean Makoun and Karim Benzema grabbed the goals in the opening half-hour for the French champions, who defended well and broke rapidly, and to devastating effect, in an end-to-end Group F contest.
Alberto Gilardino pulled a goal back for the hosts in the last minute of the first half but they could not manage an equalizer, and now have to avoid defeat against Steaua Bucharest in two weeks' time to secure third spot and a place in the UEFA Cup's last 32.
Lyon, meanwhile, have qualified for the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the sixth season in a row and will host Bayern Munich on matchday six to determine who finishes top of the group.
With Bayern beating Steaua at home tonight, both they and Lyon have 11 points from five matches to lie a massive eight points clear of third-placed Fiorentina.
Lyon were under the cosh for large parts of a riveting match but were lethal on the counter-attack. Indeed, they took the lead with an opportunistic raid forward in the 15th minute.
Kader Keita's centre from the right flew across the face of goal and was collected by Benzema, who controlled the ball and pulled it back for the inrushing Makoun, the midfielder wrong-footing French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey with his finish.
Another lightning break two minutes later saw Keita square the ball for Benzema, but the France international's curling first-time effort whistled past the post.
Fiorentina were having the better of possession and were creating chances of their own.
Zdravko Kuzmanovic scuffed a shot well wide when free in the area and Mutu headed over from 10 yards.
At the other end, Brazilian set-piece maestro Juninho crashed a 40-yard free-kick against the bar before setting up Benzema for Lyon's second goal, in the 27th minute.
Juninho dispossessed Riccardo Montolivo and fed his team-mate, who ran on and fired home a sizzling strike from outside the area.
Fiorentina, who went 2-0 ahead in their away match at Lyon on matchday one only to draw 2-2, gave themselves a lifeline just before half-time.
Moments after Adrian Mutu headed a corner against Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' post, Mario Alberto Santana swung in a right-wing cross and Gilardino showed his renowned prowess in the air by nodding home into the top corner.
Juninho, who picked up a booking tonight to rule him out of the Bayern match in a fortnight, was unfortunate to see another magnificent long-range free-kick thunder against the bar four minutes into the second half.
Lloris then produced an instinctive save with his left leg to keep out a swerving Montolivo shot in the 51st minute while the woodwork was struck again, 14 minutes later, when Kuzmanovic's shot deflected off Cris and onto the post.
The lively Keita could have sealed the win for Lyon but when set free by Juninho, he could not beat Frey with an angled drive.
Gilardino beat Jean-Alain Boumsong to a left-wing cross but headed just wide with 12 minutes left.
That proved to be the hosts' final chance, Lyon coming closer to adding to the goals when substitute Ederson volleyed a 20-yarder against the bar late on.
