Lyon Are Still %#$@ed

By: Inara | August 30th, 2007

Their Champions League Group aka The Group of Death:

Barcelona
Lyon
Stuttgart
Rangers

I wonder if Aulas will be getting any sleep tonight. I know Perrin won’t.

Lyon’s current injury crisis is probably reassuring for these clubs, but then again, Lyon have six games to play, so one or two bad games won’t weigh them down. And the quality of the group ensures that there will be no easy wins for anybody, including Barcelona. If Lyon can snag the second spot, they should be okay because by February, Cris and Gregory Coupet should be back.

Category: Champions League, Team News and Rumors

Tags: Barcelona, Champions League, Lyon, Rangers, Stuttgart, Team News and Rumors

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• Sam |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:05 am

  
  
  

  As I posted in other topic - for each separate pot I was hoping Lyon wouldn’t be drawn with each of these teams! Will make for a lot of great matches though.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

• Salieri |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:08 am

  
  
  

  I think Vercoutre won’t sleep either… He must think about how difficult it will be to face Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Messi…

  By the way Barcelone beat Internazionale yesterday 5-0.

  I hope we will get the 2nd place of the group!

  Posted from United States

  

• Jo |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:22 am

  
  
  

  I LOVE going to Bacelona… It’s about 6 hours from Lyon. Be sure I’ll do anything to be there !
  That’s a very difficult group. But Is there really easy groups ? I don’t think so. We can be happy we will have oppotunities to see some legendary match !

  

  ALLEZ L’OL !!

  Posted from France

  

• Julien |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:23 am

  
  
  

  Inara you worry too much . Lyon should advance from this group. Stuttgart may be a problem though.

  Posted from United States

  

• Julien |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:26 am

  
  
  

  Oops I forgot that Barcelona is in this group .

  Posted from United States

  

• Sam |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:36 am

  
  
  

  Stuttgart are German champs but they dont have Champions League experience like OL has and they have a young team. OL are better than them. Rangers are average at best in the crappy SPL. How much did they spend on transfers this summer ? It wasnt that much. OL dwarfed them. Dont over rate Stuttgart just because they are champs. Their talent on paper cant match OL’s.

  Posted from United States

  

• Inara |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:44 am

  
  
  

  I think on paper Barcelona and Lyon are favorites, but Stuttgart is a strong, physical, side, and worse, their players are HUGE, which means they are dangerous on set pieces - and we have a bird for a goalkeeper who thinks he’s playing basketball sometimes.

  Anyway, both Stuttgart and Rangers are capable of creating upsets and unexpected results, and I think this group will be decided on the last day.

  True, we did have a lot of transfers, but I think it was more quantity than anything else.

  The good thing is that travel isn’t more than two or three hours max, and besides Scotland, won’t be so cold either (unlike last year when we had to play in Kiev and Bucharest in the winter).

  Posted from United States

  

• Thierry |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:52 am

  
  
  

  Lol I had the intuition that it could be a decisive season for the club ’s future. By far the group of the death, when you saw the group H or G… Hum …To qualify they should be very strong. I hope some miracles happen because now, i don’t see them qualified.

  Posted from France

  

• Inara |  August 30th, 2007 at 9:59 am

  
  
  

  I am worried about our defenses. It’s up to Anderson and Squillaci to form a connection because Grosso is not defensive and I don’t think he can defend against someone like Messi.

  Posted from United States

  

• Inara |  August 30th, 2007 at 10:08 am

  
  
  

  Oh, and our first match is away to Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

  Posted from United States

  

• Adam |  August 30th, 2007 at 10:18 am

  
  
  

  Inara,
  You need to win all the matches at home (including Barca). And rest Barca will do the job for you guys. They have enuf quality to beat/draw Rangers and Stuttgart away from Nou Camp.

  BTW, Barca’s home is Nou Camp.

  Posted from India

  

• Inara |  August 30th, 2007 at 10:24 am

  
  
  

  Oops, I knew that. I’m too used to thinking about Real Madrid at this stage.

  Well, Barca and Lyon met up a few years ago, and they won at the Gerland. If they are in good form they can do so again. Barca’s quality is hard to doubt, and after Roma beat us on home soil for the first time in 27 matches, I don’t consider the Gerland invincible anymore.

  Posted from United States

  

• Thierry |  August 30th, 2007 at 10:56 am

  
  
  

  Moreover, I m worried by the fact we still haven’t got a decent tactic yet. We don’t have the forwards to play a 4 3 3(Baros sucks and make me regret Carew(at least he was tall, and useful on center like Grosso s’ones). And with a 4 4 2 we lost the ball control and our defense exploses.

  And for all the injuries, i don’t know if it was just a biggest charge of work than the other year to pass the famous “february march difficult physical period” or if the last asian tour was finally may be a very bad idea…

  Posted from France

  

• GersFan |  August 30th, 2007 at 11:56 am

  
  
  

  I agree that the SPL isn’t the highest standard but the Gers are a different team this season. We may not have spent much on transfers (about 12m euros) compared to others but Smith has bought quality, not quantity, we’re looking solid at the back, we’ve got a top keeper and the players are playing for the jerseys. 7 Scots in the first team last Saturday and all are lifelong Gers fans themselves. Oh and I’m sure our forwards will cause some problems, you should know Darcheville and Cousin - and we’ve got Boyd, Novo and a few others that can worry any defence. See you in Glasgow.

  Posted from United States

  

• Corey |  August 30th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

  
  
  

  I wouldnt worry about Rangers, thats a guarenteed 3 points at home and you can walk out of Ibrox with a 0-0 draw no problem. Stuttgart can be beaten, there zest and flair of last season has kinda died off, and the lack of experience in this competition means that Barca will beat them, meaning that 2nd place is ours to win. If we take a point of Barcelona and no other team does then were through to the next round.

  Posted from United States

  

• Linda |  August 30th, 2007 at 3:27 pm

  
  
  

  I really didn’t want Barca to draw you guys, since you were probably the toughest 2nd seed, and look what happened to Real Madrid two years in a row. But barring any surprises, both Barca and Lyon should be able to advance.

  Rangers are tricky because I think teams like Barca and to some extent Lyon don’t like playing physical teams, and it’s never fun to go to Germany and try for a result.

  It’s good that you’re playing us first, by the way, since we’re hardly in form right now.

  Posted from Australia

  

• Massaer |  August 30th, 2007 at 3:41 pm

  
  
  

  I knew you wouldn’t like this draw. I don’t think the problem will be Barcelona. Because let’s be real, Rijkaard won’t start Thuram and Benzema will destroy their defense when Lilian’s not there. I only see them having trouble against Stuttgart.
  I really see Lyon dominating Barca at Nou Camp and at Gerland.

  Posted from United States

  

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