CL: Debrecen vs. Lyon

By: Inara | September 28th, 2009

Tomorrow, Lyon will be taking on Hungarian side Debreceni VSC in their quest to qualify for the knockout rounds. They are already off to a good start, having taken three points from Fiorentina, but there are still five games to go, and anything can happen. It’s important that Lyon get three points tomorrow because they have a double-header with Liverpool (who, incidentally, have suddenly regained an impressive amount of form in the last two weeks), as well as an away game at Fiorentina.

Smells like team spirit in Hungary.

September 29, 2009
Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest
2:45 PM ET (20:45 CET)

Match Background:

Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about Debrecen (in fact, I’m not even sure how to pronounce the name) or their players. What I can tell you is that they are the current Hungarian champions and have won their domestic title four times in the last five years. They are Champions League debutants, as this is the first time they have made it out of the qualification rounds.

They’ve worked hard to get to this point – they had to start out in the second qualifying round, where they beat Swedish side Kalmar FF on aggregate to make it to the third qualifying round. Then they beat on Polish team Levadia Tallinn and finally made it to the Playoffs, where they soundly trumped Levski Sofia 4-1 on aggregate.

If that wasn’t enough, they managed a very respectable 1-0 loss at Anfield against Liverpool during the first CL match day, so if Debrecen’s determination wasn’t obvious before, it is then. While the Hungarians aren’t expecting to make it to the next round, they do have their sights set on third place, which will give them a chance at the UEFA Cup.

Domestically, they’ve been doing pretty well, managing 6th place in a very tight league table. Of their seven games so far, they’ve won five, drawn one, and lost one. They have some injured players, but their manager is confident that their replacements are up to the task. And given that Debrecen’s knowledge of Lyon far exceeds Lyon’s knowledge of Debrecen, the Hungarians have the advantage in that respect.

As for Lyon, they are still in second place and still two points behind Bordeaux. They defeated Toulouse last weekend 2-1, and prior to that, they managed a score draw at PSG and a barely-there victory at home against Fiorentina. Lyon will be hoping to go back to their high-goal scoring ways, but with their own spate of injuries, keeping a clean sheet while managing a win will be Puel’s priority.

Team News:

Cleber Anderson will be undergoing surgery for his ongoing knee problems, so it’s fair to say that we won’t be seeing him for the rest of the year. Jean-Alain Boumsong is still recuperating from the groin injury he picked up a few weeks ago, and he is joined by fellow defender Mathieu Bodmer, who picked up the same injury against Toulouse on Saturday. Michel Bastos is still out from the ankle injury he receiving during the Fiorentina match, Cesar Delgado is out due to a niggling thigh injury, and Lisandro Lopez is being allowed to recuperate from a groin injury that never fully healed from the knock he received during the last international break.

Le groupe lyonnais: Lloris, Vercoutre – Réveillère, Clerc, Seguin, Cris, Cissokho, Kolodzieczak – Makoun, Toulalan, Källström, Gonalons, Pjanic, Govou, Ederson – Tafer, Grenier, Gomis, Belfodil

The good news is that Ederson is available again. Puel is also bringing along a whole host of young talent, including Nicolas Seguin, Maxime Gonalons, Yannis Tafer, Ishak Belfodil, Clement Grenier, and Timothée Kolodziejczak. Honestly, the squad list for this game is even more varied than that of a cup game.

Expected Lineup:

One would almost be tempted to utilize Francois Clerc as RB in order for him to get game time, but it wouldn’t be wise to underestimate Debrecen, and Anthony Reveillere has proven to be the starter so far this season. Puel has no choice but to put Jeremy Toulalan yet again in central defense, not only because we have no backup CBs (which I totally blame Puel for), but also because Toulalan seems to be a better CB than the ones we actually have.

One good thing that comes out of Toulalan’s new position (well, besides having a tighter back four) is that Puel can’t put two DMs in midfield – and no, I don’t consider Kim Kallstrom as a DM. While I do expect Kallstrom to pair Jean II Makoun in midfield, Kallstrom is more of an attacking player. We’ll also probably be seeing Miralem Pjanic, who’s been doing fairly decently, and what he lacks in consistency, he makes up in his “right place and the right time” moments.

Up front is where it will be interesting. Bafetimbi Gomis and Sidney Govou are sure to start; the question is, who will be the third player up front? Ederson seems to be the most likely candidate, and with Cesar Delgado, Michel Bastos, and Lisandro out, it makes a lot of sense. But some have been clamoring to give Yannis Tafer a chance, and perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Though it would probably make more sense for him to be a second half sub.

Lloris
Reveillere – Cris – Toulalan – Cissokho
Pjanic – Makoun – Kallstrom
Govou – Gomis – Ederson

I don’t think anything besides a 4-3-3 is possible given the players Puel has available, unless he decides to use Ederson as a second striker (which he’s done before, but with little affect). It’s also possible that Govou and Ederson might switch places, especially since Govou tends to look better on the left.

Viewing Options:

On television, the only place to watch this match (in the US, that is), is either on DirecTV or on SkySports Red Button, whatever that is. Streaming is once again your best option. You can cross your fingers and try to find a working here, or you can chuck out $10 and buy one from UEFA.com. Remember, sharing is caring, and if you find a working stream, please share!

If you’d rather skip out on the streaming drama altogether, you can follow along on liveblog. Both Football365.fr and Lequipe.fr will have good ones, as will the OL website, where you can also follow along with free audio commentary – though be warned, it’s all in French. (About an hour before the match, I’ll update this section with the links to the liveblogs.)

Expected Result:

I’m going with a 1-0. The Hungarians will be playing a defensive game, and Lyon have a history of having difficulties coping with overly defensive teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lyon scores from a set piece.