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.

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?

In the 2011/12 season we are approximately 35% of the way through the campaign and it is the same two players who stand out on the world stage as usual. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 he has scored 106 goals in 108 matches, an incredible feat that would appear unbeatable in the modern age.

6 games, 6 wins. 20 goals scored, 1 conceded. That was the month of October for Real, very probably the best European team right now.

They beat Lyon in Bernabeu 4-0 two weeks ago, and we haven't changed that much since then: Lisandro is still missing, as are Grenier and Pied.

Ding ding, the international break is over, it's time to wake up as the Ligue 1 championship resumes this weekend. All teams will have rested their players -especially those who only have a few or no internationals- and taken the time at training to work on aspects they don't usually touch upon, all this in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Venue : Stade Michel d'Ornan
Sep 21, 2011, 1900 CET.

Of highs and spectacular lows highs!

Stade de Gerland turned into a graveyard for Olympique Marseille this Sunday. The memorable 2-0 loss to OL has brought upon OM a 10 point deficit from 2012-13 Champions League spots in just 6 games!

Champions League Group Stages Match Day 1

On to the most exciting competition of the season! Lyon looks to stamp its authority on the competition it has truly made its presence felt in. Group Stages are probably the only part of the Champions League that Lyon look comfortable in, so start off well, Les Gones!

It's been a while since we have felt the need to critique Cristiano's sartorial elegance. But we're guessing he's been so busy with his bubba and Irina over the summer break that he simply hasn't had time to offend us with his trouser/shoe combos.

However, training has a now recommenced and a whole season of fashion fails awaits us.

After grading and analyzing the performance of Lazio defense during the last season (which if you missed can be found here) today it is the turn to grade the performance of Lazio midfielders. Ledesma 7,5: This was probably Cris`s best season since he arrived at Lazio. Leaving his contractual problems behind, he had focused all [.

The following article has been written by our new guest blogger Dan. Enjoy!

To use the crudest of paradoxes, if PSG were a fisherman, he would starve. Because, time after time they are given a golden opportunity through a Lyon slip-up to take and cement third place. But time and again, time and again.

In the following article, guest blogger Dan reviews the last two matchdays before introducing the next one. Enjoy!
Megame

Predictable...in lack of Predictability
Typical, typical Lyon. First, les Gones played like Titans in a brilliant Olympico. Delgado was monstrous (if only he could manage to stay fit; he has only started 19 games for OL in the last 2 years.

(The following article was entirely written and illustrated by Nikhil Apte, our new blogger)

Stunning comeback against Marseille on Sunday! Yes, there shouldn't have been a need for one in the first place, but who's complaining! Captain fantastic Cris came up with a goal that would make many a striker (or hitman for that matter) proud.

Pressure cooker ready to burst, or bowl of overboiled noodles?
Difficult to anticipate the spirits in which the players will face Lens today. A week after the draw against Nice (2-2), much has been leaked, distorted, or exaggerated, about the atmosphere within the squad. Yes, Hugo Lloris exploded after the match, on his way back to the locker rooms.

Real Madrid are in the Champions League quarter-final draw for the first time in seven years as goals from Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Ángel Di María eased the nine-time winners past Lyon.

After six seasons of disappointments at this stage of European club football's elite competition, Madrid players and fans could have been forgiven for suffering a few pre-match nerves.

25 or 7 ?
25% vs 7 times. That pretty much sums up the whole uncertainty around this game. Statistically, Lyon only have a 25% chance to qualify after the draw (1-1) conceded at home, three weeks ago. But this small percentage is opposed to the record of confrontations between the two teams, largely in favor of OL : 7 games against Real, 0 loss.

LYON, France — Striker Bafetimbi Gomis scored a late equalizer Tuesday as Lyon drew 1-1 with Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 meeting in the Champions League, denying the Spanish team its first win against the former French champions. Brazilian defender Cris headed on a free kick and Gomis clipped the ball [.

Olympique Lyon host nine-times winners Real Madrid at the Stade Gerland hoping to continue their impressive run of form against the Spanish giants.

Played six, won three, drew three and lost exactly zero. Yes that is zero. With statistics as such, it is easy to see why Olympique Lyon have become Real Madrid's much proclaimed ‘bogey-club'.

The second half of the season is about to begin, we have our eyes set on that first game against Lorient, but there are a couple of interesting things that have been said or done around the club lately.

Here's a quick roundup:

- Jean II Makoun is on his way to Aston Villa.

Against Caen today, Lyon will compete in the 217th Coupe de France match in its history. So this little known competition goes a long way, and few people know that the Football Club de Lyon played in 1917 already in the final of the very first edition of this competition, against Olympique .. de Pantin (a Paris suburb).

Yipee ! To start with this first post of 2011 let me wish you all a brilliant, fun, prosperous, healthy, sparkling and footballistic new year. Champagne!

(Just make sure to spare a bottle in the fridge to celebrate when we win our 8th championship title at the end of the season). Ahum.

So, while most of us try to fight the weight put on during the winter holidays and add to our list of resolutions for the new year (or the other way round), what are the players doing?