Lyon vs. Dinamo Zagreb – Fireworks, anyone?

Champions League Group Stages – Matchday 2 – Sep 27, 2011.

My good performances are only coming out because the team is a well oiled machine right now and they are creating far more chances for me than I used to get, and that’s because there is more quality in our play. – Bafétimbi Fredius Gomis.

While the media of the world, in all their articles and reviews of popular clubs may focus on Bayerns or Real Madrids or Ajaxs or Villarreals of football, the match closer home concerns us much, and for so many reasons.

The One Hundredth

It is a milestone attained by only the very best clubs in the world. Tuesday’s match against Dinamo Zagreb shall be the 100^th Champions League match for Lyon. Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

The importance of getting things right here can hardly be overstated. The club goes into a Real Madrid double-header the next two times the Champions League anthem rings around the stadium. Not to mention a spate of challenging spike-strips all along October, as Lyon plays table leaders PSG, current Ligue 1 champions Lille, and the Derby du Rh̫ne against the most successful club in French football history РSaint Etienne.

Dinamo Zagreb are not exactly regulars at the Champions League stage. That says little, however, of their professional abilities on the pitch and more about the UEFA Coefficients system, being the sole flag bearers for Croatia in Europe. This past fortnight, they managed to keep the high and mighty Real Madrid in check. Well, a 1-0 loss at home means exactly that.

It is a club that has been dominating the Croatian league Prva HNL for a better part of the decade gone by. The current season 2011-12, that they lead as of date, (8 wins and 1 draw in 9 games) shall be their 7^th consecutive title if they were to achieve it. Brings back memories, doesn’t it?

A Few Good Men.

Though Alexandre Lacazette didn’t shine in place of rested Jimmy Briand against Bordeaux, not much would remove pre-season jitters than a manager who’s got your back. Perform, and you shall find your place in the team seems to be the message. Gomis is in his element, Bastos is swinging in those crosses like Ronaldinho of old, getting involved in 6 of the last 9 Ligue 1 goals for Lyon. And despite the disappointing defeat against Caen, little seems to have deterred this unit that seems to be out on a mission this season. After all, a close-knit team that has little changed could be expected to have better co-ordination over the years.

It has been exactly one month since Lisandro fell to injury, and boy have Les Gones wiped out the feeling of dread!

Bakary Koné has gelled into the team with ease, and causes a flutter in the opponent penalty box everytime he goes for the bicycle kick in offence! That would be a great sight of possibly a great defender to be, at the risk of jumping ahead of time.

The match would be of some importance to Dejan Lovren, as he goes against his former club. Matches against Clubs of old have rarely been easy for many, and Lovren for one would like to prove a point. Though if not with a headed goal, then hopefully not with either of those brightly coloured cards.

Czech Referee Pavel Kralovec shall orchestrate his first Champions League match ever. I’m guessing he would like no nonsense to go on under his watch.

For Dinamo Zagreb, the saving grace has been Goalkeeper Ivan Keleva. Making important saves had become a habit at the match against Real Madrid, for this keeper. Much reliance can be expected on the back four for Dinamo Zagreb, to defend as well as to push forwards from the back.

Support more than you can stomach? You bet!

Dinamo Zagreb have their fair share of fierce supporters, so I expect the stadium to be noisy!

Their Bad Gones equivalent of faithful are, well.. The Bad Blue Boys. Asking followers-that-often-throng-to-Croatian-football-stadiums of their reputation may result in an uncomfortable shifty look. They are known to turn nasty, so one should keep an ear out for the decibel levels in the stadium!

This, however, is one area that makes me proud as an OL supporter. Rarely has Stade Gerland been anything but encouraging of the team. When the odds are against them, the singing drowns the tensions.

Who’s in the Line-ups and who’s out fixing his microwave?

Lisandro, Cris, Gourcuff, while having started team training, shall not feature in this match. Ederson and Yannis Tafer are out for longer periods of time.

Kim Källström should make the first team again, and hopefully spend the evening in the industrious manner in which he always does.

Probable Teams:

Lyon: Lloris – Réveillère, B. Koné, Lovren, Cissokho – Gonalons, Källström – Briand, Grenier, Bastos – Gomis.

Dinamo Zagreb: Kelava – Leko, Vida, Tonel, Simunic – Badelj, Calello – Kovacic, Sammir, Ibanez – Beqiraj

Allez Les Gones!!

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Category: Champions League