Lyon
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Short post today as Nikhil won’t be able to post the preview due to personal circumstances.
There’s precious little to say other than Lyon are pretty much assured to keep the 4th spot, so this game is of little importance… except for Gourcuff and the other European internationals who want to be noticed and selected for the Euro championship.
Ajaccio are currently 16th and fighting to remain in L1 next season. In the first confrontation in Gerland they caused us problems and managed to get away with a draw, so it’s likely they’ll want to get all of the 3 points today… Lyonnais beware.
But obviously Garde nonetheless wants to win this game, as he’s trying to justify why Aulas handed him a contract extension; Just after the joy and pride of winning the Coupe de France, he’s been thoroughly disappointed by the Brest game, and still tries to figure out how the heck the dynamics of this team work… Why do they perform on a day, and remain sterile the other?
Let’s see how the kids behave in front of this promoted team and their passionate stadium… Definitely an interesting experience for them who, bar a few senior players, don’t have much…
Allez l’OL!
Ajaccio : Ochoa – Lippini, Poulard, Diawara, Bouhours – André, Pierazzi, Mostefa, Cavalli – Tiberi, Eduardo
Lyon : Lloris – Dabo, Cris, Koné, Cissokho – Fofana, Gonalons, Gourcuff – Pied, Briand, Gomis
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I know, I know: technically, tonight’s game fits the definition of a derby. Unfortunately, this new L1 fixture (2 years old) between two clubs of Ligue Rhône-Alpes is nowhere near, in anticipation and expectation, an OL-ASSE, THE derby.
So indeed the interest, if any, of this game is not obvious, as the outcome won’t make much difference to the two participants’ fortunes. The reason is there’s not much at stake: Evian is assured to stay in Ligue 1 next season, and Lyon is assured not to play the CL next season but to reach the Europa’s cup group stage.
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Olympique Lyonnais vs. Stade Brestois 29
Matchday 35 – Stade Municipal de Gerland, Ligue 1
Engage the landing gear y’all! Just a final patch of four matches is left to go. And for the first time in the season, Lyon’s helplessness in the league has actually left them with a choice!
To fight Lille in the capacity of an improbable Champions League spot contender, or to contend with the Europa League spot courtesy a Coupe de France win, or even to ‘earn’ it in a symbolic 4th place finish ahead of Rennes and Toulouse. In the case of the latter, it will be the first time in 14 long and eventful years that Lyon will have finished the league scowling at the podium finishers from the outside. This is most likely, as Lille needs just 3 points from 3 matches to make a Champions League spot a sure thing, given the large goal difference-difference over Lyon (+28 for Lille, +12 for Lyon).
In tonight’s fixture, Brest has it all to do, as they have a relegation battle to fight. Until March, they had been coasting their way mid-table. But what followed was 4 match losing streak, followed by a stunning 3-1 victory over Lille, further followed by 3 more consecutive defeats and a 0-0 Toulouse draw. Brest does have a 1-0 Marseille win as well, giving it an impressive total of 8 draws, 2 wins against the current top eight teams of whom only PSG have come off unscathed in two encounters.
This fact alone amply declares the potential of the team to be a party pooper for teams with European ambitions. Stade Brestois is yet to score a goal at Lyon in their previous 6 L1 matches here, all of which have been Lyon wins.
Let’s hope for one here tonight as well!
Team Lineups
Lyon - Lloris, Réveillère, Cris, B. Koné, Cissokho, Gonalons, Källström, Lacazette, Gourcuff, Lisandro, Gomis.
Brest : Elana, Daf, Baysse, Kantari, Lorenzi, A. Sissoko, O. Coulibaly, Poyet, Grougi, Lesoimier, Jemâa.
</Small Writeup>
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Olympique Lyonnais vs. US Quevilly,
Coupe de France Final 2012, Stade de France.
The day your under-performing opponents become over-powering, is the day you know you shouldn’t have left home at all. Yes, Lyon never ‘turned up’ in the Coupe de la Ligue Final, to quote Rémi Garde. Marseille brought on their sure-thing in the form of Brandao and walked away with a thoroughly undeserved Europa League spot and with one of the only three title opportunities Lyon has had in the last four years. (Well, the Champions League Semi Final wasn’t really an opportunity in hindsight, but after the German leg it wasn’t all grim!)
Demand a change of habit.
We fans need to hear from our players on the pitch. Whatever the length of the season thus far, (this is the 53rd game of the season for us), whatever the injury and coaching issues, Lyonnais players have a lot on their shoulders tonight. The immense weight of falling pride – to be precise. Enough slack defending. Enough!
They have to play out of their skins tonight. US Quevilly will turn up in their giant killing boots. The team from a town of 22000 people is out to try and defeat the team with the longest consecutive reign of French titles ever.
OL has to convincingly declare – Ils ne passeront pas ! (They shall not pass !)
Demand a change of emphasis.
While the initial legs of the tournament consisted of OL having to run over Lyon Duchère and Vendée Luçon Football, the going with the flow stopped when we went head to head against Bordeaux in the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France. The game went into extra-time, and it took goals from Bafe and Briand to conquer Bordeaux 3-1 that night.
The next game in the tournament was against PSG. After a Nene penalty on the 19th minute, it looked like things may go downhill. But a certain Kim Källström thought otherwise. He initiated a comeback, which was followed by Licha, and then killed off by Gomis. The score was once again 3-1 and Carlo Ancelotti wept to bed that night.
Unsurprisingly (if you know what I mean), the toughest task yet was to come from a battling Gazelec Ajaccio. Fearless in their approach, if Gazelec had any nerves they made sure to hand them over to their grandmas before the match. While the final score-line read an absurd 4-0 to Lyon, it wasn’t until the 60th minute – and with an Ajaccio red card – that the game had finally broken in favour of the away OL team.
Herein lay the lesson of the season for Lyon. The team that gives its all is rather inferior to a team that dares to TAKE IT ALL!
We demand that the Lyon squad which shows up tonight is the one that is after the gold medal alone.
It's not 'A' Cup Tie, It's THE Cup Tie!
Demand the Coupe de France!
Nothing less will do! Quevilly is a team that is in a relegation battle in the Championnat National (in 14th place currently). The crowd likes to see the under-dog perform. I sure as hell won’t. Not tonight!
Bastos has been ruled out with a bad back. This will be the umpteenth crucial game that he will have missed this season. I’d rather him and his brilliance fill Garde’s coffers this season end.
Gourcuff is back, I’m eager to see how he performs in this one. Ederson did okay after coming back from longish injury. The sense of guilt HAS to get on to people, right?
Gomis, please don’t go missing in the game. Cris, you do not have much of a career left. But Lyon potentially does. Lloris, Lovren and Gonalons – Stand your ground! Well, Lloris can fly around a bit I suppose.
Whatever you guys do, GET US THE CUP TONIGHT!
Probable Teams
Lyon – Lloris – Réveillère, Cris (c), Lovren, Cissokho – Gonalons, Källström – Lacazette, Gourcuff, Lisandro – Gomis
US Quevilly – El-Kharroubi – Vardin, Weis, Beaugrard (c), Vanoukia – Diarra, Jouan – Laup, Valéro, Capelle – Colinet
Allez l’OL!!
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Call that mimicry. Or boredom. Or the result of too many hot, then cold showers. Anyway, I can’t help but feel exactly like OL in Toulouse : uninspired.
Yes, there is a game tonight, and mathematically there is still a chance to end up on the third spot; but Lille have got their superpowers back, and QSG will do their best not to be ridiculed by seemingly unstoppable Montpellier and their budget of barely one fifth of theirs. So, there’s no chance any of these guys will drop it, so forget about CL. Uninspired, I told you.
The only battle reasonably left is the fight for the fourth spot, currently occupied by Rennes as I write these lines, and for which 3 contenders are competing, with exactly the same number of points (53, just one less than Rennes): Lyon, Toulouse and St Etienne. That’s the sad reality following the uninspired and, to be frank, dismal performance against Toulouse.
“Boy is it fun, as a L1 observer, to watch OL this season !”
Now, to be honest there is indeed something inspiring in this club : the OL feminines. This is the only group with which Aulas can get consolation and pride. Why? Because they combine individual talent AND collective mindset at the service of the club, something that is really lacking with their male counterparts. And this team, really pleasant to watch, just qualified today for their third champions league final in a row. Well done girls! May you inspire the boys to get a third win over Lorient this season…
Allez l’OL, get your pride back, get your football back, and get your fans back!
The teams:
Lyon : Lloris – Dabo, Lovren, Cris, Cissokho – Kallstrom, Grenier, Gonalons – Lacazette, Briand, Lisandro
Lorient : Audard – Koné, Ecuele Manga, Bourillon, Lautoa, Le Lan – Mvuemba, Jouffre, Autret – Aliadière, Monnet-Paquet
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Toulouse Football Club vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Stadium Municipal de Toulous, Week 32, Ligue 1
Back to our daily bread tonight!
A cup loss inevitably stirs up a hornet’s nest all around the team. And seemingly contradictory to all the adjectives being hurled upon team Lyon, I happen to believe the team continues to be in good shape under the conditions made abundantly clear at the start of the season. We do not have money. Woof!
Kids, do no try this at home without adult supervision.
Appetizers for you, Mr. and Mrs. Such-and-Such?
- 5 OL players have been sent off at Toulouse in the last 4 trips.
- TFC has the best defensive record in the league until tonight – only 28 goals conceded in 31 matches. The buggers.
- Toulouse has strikers in lousy form. Only 8 of their 32 goals Read the rest of this entry »
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Tonight’s new battle of the Olympiques is one that will make history.
Being a Coupe de la Ligue final, its result will be carved in stone. The name of the winner will be added to the list of glorious predecessors, those who at least once have been the heroes of this recent but well publicized competition.
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Okay, this is just filler post for comments.
The match looks really really ugly. I’m 74% sure Marseille has paid Ajaccio to injure Lyonnais players.
Referee has lost control of the match, and Ajaccio has had a red card as of halftime. And its still 0-0.
Allez Lyon!
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Olympique Lyonnais vs. AJ Auxerre
Stade Municipal de Gerland, Week 31, Ligue 1
Just last season, one could see Auxerre trying to fight their way in the Champions League group stages, against Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Ajax. Heck, they even beat Ajax at home! But things have changed, things have changed.
Flash forward to the present, Jelen has left, Pedretti has left, and Auxerre find themselves at the bottom of the broth that the French top league is. Unfortunately for them, it’s a bit too hot over there. Sitting at No. 20 in the league for the 3rd week in a row, it tries to make a few jabs at its last opponents in an attempt to continue to play with the big boys for another season. Well, those being the likes of PSG, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Montpellier! We have a fight on our hands.
Week 31
Lyon were tied on points against Toulouse until game 30, and ahead only on goal difference (+4). There are only 24 points to play for till the end of the season. “We will see where we are at the end of the season,” said goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. “With 24 points to play for a lot can still happen. If we can take all 24 points then we will not be far away from that third place. Our number one objective is still to qualify for the Champions League. We know it won’t be easy but we hope we can do it and the desire is there.”
That says it all. Lloris would want to make sure Lyon reaches the Champions League, especially if that is the last thing he does for the club.
Auxerre has had a poor time in Stade Gerland lately, winning only once (2009) in their last 22 matches here.
Who’s in the Lineups and who’s nearly too late to post match previews?
Michel Bastos has a back injury worry. He came off in the match against Rennes holding his back, and things didn’t look too good then. Well, its not like we have to play a Semi-Final and a Final in the next week, right? Oh but we do.
Cris and Gourcuff are still injured. On the flip side, Bakary Kone and Alexandre Lacazette are back after suspension!
Auxerre has many more problems in the medical department. Amadou Sidibé is out for 6 months. Jérémy Berthod, Delvin Ndinga, Donovan Léon, Ben Sahar, Adama Coulibaly and Yaya Sanogo are also missing.
Team Lineups:
Lyon : Lloris – Réveillère, Lovren, Umtiti, Cissokho – Briand, Gonalons, Grenier, Källström- Gomis, Lisandro.
Auxerre : Sorin; Dudka, Boly, Grichting, Hengbart; Mandjeck, Cissé; Chafni, Traoré, Contout ; Oliech.
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