Lyon scored twice in the final 17 minutes to deny Fiorentina all three points in a pulsating Champions League Group F clash at the Stade Gerland on Wednesday.
Italy striker Alberto Gilardino put the visitors two goals ahead by the interval after directing home headers at the start and end of the first half.
But Lyon launched a superb comeback, halving the deficit in controversial circumstances after they refused to kick the ball out of play with Fiorentina defender Luciano Zauri down injured. Frederic Piquionne eventually found the net amid furious Viola appealing.
Karim Benzema then capped the revival by slamming home a deflected shot in the 86th minute.
Having lost their first two group matches in last season's competition, Lyon have again made it tough for themselves but given the score at half-time, they will be happy with the result.
It was they who began sprightly, getting in Fiorentina's faces and creating the game's first few chances.
Mathieu Bodmer struck a close-range shot against the bar following a spot of pinball in the six-yard box, and moments later Benzema's cross-cum-shot was turned wide by strike partner Fred.
Fiorentina's goal, therefore, came against the run of play.
It stemmed from a poor clearance by Lyon center-half Jean-Alain Boumsong, the ball finding its way to Zauri. The right-back's textbook cross was met by the flying Gilardino, who beat Bodmer to the ball to head home past Hugo Lloris.
The Viola took heart from that and grew in confidence, almost doubling the lead when Sergio Almiron's long-range free-kick in the 20th minute crashed against the bar.
At the other end, Jeremy Toulalan's shot with the outside of his foot was beaten away by Sebastien Frey, Fiorentina's French goalkeeper.
Boumsong was at it again just after the half-hour mark, inexplicably mis-controlling Lloris' simple pass out of his area.
The ball quickly ended up at the feet of Adrian Mutu, whose effort was excellently saved by Lloris.
Lyon's defensive shortcomings were apparent again in the 41st minute when Fiorentina doubled their lead, a free Gilardino peeling off Bodmer and heading Mutu's perfect centre from the right into the far corner.
Benzema was Les Gones' most dangerous player in the first half and he tested Frey early in the second, shooting straight at the custodian after running onto a Sidney Govou back heel.
Juninho then curled a free-kick narrowly wide and another at Frey but the visitors, without a win in two Serie A matches this season, were coping quite comfortably.
They were only undone when a highly controversial incident ended in Piquionne scoring.
Lyon played on even though Zauri was down injured in his own box. With the full-back playing everyone onside, Benzema took advantage, running onto a Juninho through-ball and laying off for Piquionne to tap into an empty net.
Fiorentina were livid with Lyon, and Benzema in particular, for not allowing Zauri to receive treatment but they would have been even more unhappy when they conceded an equaliser four minutes from time.
Juninho chose not to strike at goal at a free-kick but instead slid a pass in behind the wall to Benzema, whose deflected shot wrong-footed Frey and found the net.
