Olympique Lyonnais vs. SM Caen
Week 23 – Ligue 1
What an AWESOME start to the year! Six wins, one well fought out draw and a marginal 1-0 loss in
8 matches since January. 8 matches in which Lyon has scored 19 goals.
However busy Gerland gardeners may have been to ensure this game would not be cancelled due to
the current cold wave striking in Europe, the French football authorities tried to get a few more
degrees in anticipating it to 4.15 PM instead of 9PM, in the hope that a few sunrays would heat up
the atmosphere.
Olympique de Marseille vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Stade Vélodrome – Week 22, Ligue 1.
The swords are drawn.
The only two teams in French League alive in four championships play in The Olympico at
Stade Vélodrome. Not just another League match, but one that will set expectations for greater
games to come.
2012, after 2001?
Today is a crucial day as we'll know whether we continue our currently successful run in 4
competitions. Since the last victory against Dijon, OL players and staff didn't focus on the all
important incoming clash at the Velodrome against Marseille, which could condition the path of the
two clubs in L1.
Olympique Lyonnais vs. Dijon FCO
Match day 21 – Ligue 1.
In an unbelievably quiet transfer zone window, the report card on indecision in the last month
will come 21 days later. That is because starting tonight, Lyon plays a match roughly every three
days, for the next three weeks!
So we're back to yet another Cup game. Not the Coupe de la Ligue, that was last week. Not the
Coupe de France either, that was the week before. No, wait, that's the Coupe de France again, but
the next round. I'm getting confused... The good thing is that Lisandro isn't. He repeated this
week that he WANTS to get a trophy with OL this year, and a French Cup, whichever it is, is a good
and (normally) not too difficult way to get one.
Montpellier Hérault SC vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Week 20 – Ligue 1, Stade de la Mosson.
Alive in four out of four competitions! Bravo Les Gones!
A potential rearranging of top league table spots is on the cards this weekend. Six of the top
seven teams go head-to-head against each other PSG vs.
Stay cool, it may feel like deja vu but you're not in the Matrix. It's just this French
invention of adding to the venerable Coupe de France a modern nemesis called Coupe de la Ligue, and
programming them at the same period.
This cup is the least respected of the two and many presidents already said it should be
abandoned, but it has at least two advantages : First, it is the shortest route to a title, meaning
it's an opportunity to salvage your season when you've missed the top spot of the championship
(thinking of anyone?
AS Lyon Duchère vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Coupe de France, Round of 64
Coupe de France greets us on the other side of the winter break, and OL travels to, well, Lyon.
The fourth division team of Lyon Duchère, the youth club of Eric Abidal, hosts Olympique Lyonnais,
the big boys this time.
An ocean of luck, that's what Lyon have been bathing in for the last month or so. Even last
saturday, OL have won their last home game of the year, for the first time in ten years: another
sign of the success of Lyonnais in December. A miracle in the Champions League, followed by other
very favorable news (Nicosia, for C1, the neighbor La Duchère for La Coupe de France, a string of
referee decisions that got us to win) four straight wins in the Championship .
Olympique Lyonnais vs. Evian TG FC,
Matchday 18, Ligue 1
Finally a Champions League Knockout stages draw that spelt relief for Lyon. In their 9th
consecutive appearance in the Round-of-16, they meet APOEL FC; the Cypriot side that managed to
finish ahead of Zenit St.
How does one go from a miracle to synthetic grass? This sums up the problem faced by the Lyon
squad just a few days after an heroic and historical game that took everyone by surprise.
For that's the big question mark tonight : in what condition will the heroes of Zagreb be in
Lorient : back down to earth (or rather to the synthetic pitch with artificial grass of le Moustoir
stadium), or still floating somewhere with their minds still in Zagreb, with a heavy hangover after
days of partying night and day?
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Matchday 6, UEFA Champions League Group Stages 2011/12.
The equation is simple really. Make mincemeat out of Dinamo Zagreb in Zagreb, and bribe Madrid
to make fruit punch out of Ajax in Amsterdam. Seven strikers, one defender (Lovren, of course) and
three goalkeepers ought to be enough, one would think?
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Olympique Lyonnais
Matchday 6, UEFA Champions League Group Stages 2011/12.
The equation is simple really. Make mincemeat out of Dinamo Zagreb in Zagreb, and bribe Madrid
to make fruit punch out of Ajax in Amsterdam. Seven strikers, one defender (Lovren, of course) and
three goalkeepers ought to be enough, one would think?
4 months. 4 months since we couldn't count on a full squad. And boy, was it felt. But could our
initial fortunes be coming back to us? All of a sudden, no more injured (except Tafer and
substitute keepers Vercoutre and Lopes), no more suspended (Dabo has served his three matches after
being sent off against Saint-Etienne).
