A Winning Start

By: Inara | August 5th, 2007

Lyon achieved a comfortable 2-0 victory over Auxerre in their first league game of the season (match pictures at the end of the post).

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For once, Milan Baros had a good game.

During the first twenty minutes of the game, Lyon and Auxerre fought for possession, with Lyon missing some easy chances (Sidney Govou missed a wide open net while Kim Kallstrom kept shooting from the wrong angle).

At the half hour mark, Milan Baros, thanks to an intelligent late burst into the box by Jeremy Toulalan, lifted the curse over his head by scoring Lyon’s first. He almost added a second but missed Fabio Grosso’s excellent cross by mere inches. However, Lyon added another goal to their tally when Karim Benzema’s rocket strike hit the back of the net.

No yellow cards were distributed tonight, which was quite generous of the referee. A clean match, it wasn’t the best of Lyon’s performances, but the players didn’t push themselves either. And although today’s game was at a slower pace, there were still several thrilling moments, most of them involving Kader Keita (!!!).

The biggest positive of today’s match was the team harmony. Perrin didn’t even start many of his key players, including Juninho, Hatem Ben Arfa, Fred, Gregory Coupet, Mathieu Bodmer, Sebastien Squillaci, and Francois Clerc. And yet, even with a new coach, several new players, and a new tactical system, it was like they’ve been playing together for years.

The only thing that concerned me were Lyon’s finishing skills. While they did score two goals tonight, it isn’t that great when all their missed opportunities are taken into account. The club’s official website did a review of Lyon’s five pre-season games, where out of the 108 shots on goal, only 8 goals were scored. That is an appalling ratio, especially considering the talent in the squad.

For the rest of Ligue 1’s results, visit the France Offside.

Goals:

Milan Baros 1-0

Karim Benzema 2-0

Also check out Keita’s slalom, Govou’s miss, Kallstrom’s miss, more Keita skillz, and Ben Arfa’s dribble.

If you wish to watch the game in its entirely, I have the links to the torrent files (in French or in English!), so let me know if you want them.

Player Performance:

Remy Vercoutre had a decent game. He wasn’t really challenged and had only a few easy saves to make, though he did seem nervous during Benoit Pedretti’s free kick. Let’s hope he works out his jitters because the next game is against Toulouse, who had no problem scoring two goals with him in the net last January. Cris was imposing as usual, Patrick Muller less so, though he got the job done. Fabio Grosso had his first start today, and he rewarded the Gerland faithful with quick runs down the left side, contributing offensively by offering great crosses. It’ll take me a while to get used to seeing a LB spend most of his time in the other team’s half, but Perrin has promised to work with Grosso on his defensive shortcomings. Anthony Reveillere had a solid game, and when Grosso was substituted by Francois Clerc, he switched to the left.

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Lyon’s midfield boss.

The Toulalan-Kallstrom duo is becoming my favorite football couple. They have an almost erotic connection on the pitch, which, as a Lyon fan, is a huge turn on. Toulalan is continuously proving wrong many of Lyon’s critics, who are convinced that without an African DM, the midfield can’t hold up. As for Kallstrom, no one expected him to perform so well, most especially Mathieu Bodmer, who Kallstrom is currently pushing out of the starting lineup. Even Juninho, whose second half appearance was promising (excellent free kicks as usual), must be a little concerned by Kallstrom’s recent form.

Sidney Govou worked hard, hustled, got into position, but his finishing is like crap. He missed two EASY opportunities to score, though he did set up Benzema’s goal. However, he continues to look quite comfortable in Perrin’s 4-4-2, despite the fact that he’s been deployed on the left. Officially, at least. He and Kader Keita interchanged sides rather frequently. As for Keita, what can I say about him without using every superlative in the English language? Easily the best player tonight, he showed everyone exactly why Aulas made him the club’s most expensive signing (€18m). If he can play like this for even seventy percent of the matches, €18m will be a bargain. He’s fast, strong, and possesses a direct yet flashy style that’s definitely eye-catching. His passing and crossing ought to have been served with whipped cream. And what a dribbler! During one moment in the game, he dribbled past four Auxerre players (with two nutmegs) and barely got stopped by a fifth. Now if he could only work on his finishing skills…

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He is a beast, I tell you.

Both of Lyon’s strikers scored. Milan Baros had a decent game, and if he’s given the same service he got tonight for the rest of the season, he may regain his Euro 2004 form. Karim Benzema, on the other hand, had a so-so match. He missed some easy passes and made a few blunders, but when it counted, he scored a beauty (with his weaker left foot). As the season progresses, he’ll get even better. I hope Fred doesn’t get any sleep after watching Baros and Benzema in action tonight.

Match pictures:

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