Champions League Fixture: Olympique Lyonnais vs Schalke First Half Report
It was the start of the most awaited night, as tonight Champions League finally kicked off after summer when Inter Milan were crowned champions of Europe. This UEFA Champions league fixture is considered to be the one of the toughest fixtures for both the sides. A win over the opponent will surely guarantee a place for the side in the knock-out stages of the European Championship.
Moreover, it was the night every fan at the Rhone Valley side had been waiting for, as they expect their team OL to perform even better then the last campaign. Last season, OL was the only French club who managed to make a place in the semi-finals of the elite competition after defeating their league rival Bordeaux. Unfortunately their successful campaign was ended by German outfit Bayern Munich.
While on the other hand it is Schalke first UEFA Champions league match after three years. They were able to reach the semi-finals which they lost against Barcelona in 2007-08.
Both OL and Schalke, last time semi-finalists, has finished second in their respective league. It was always going to be a great encounter to watch. With Benifica also the part of Group B, this match could really prove to be the decisive match.
There was no doubt in the starting line-up for O. Lyon. The veteran Hugo Lloris has the responsibilities of goalkeeping for O. Lyon. He was one of the young and talented goalkeepers of last season. No doubt Hugo Lloris played a major role in the successful O. Lyon champions’ league campaign. Moreover, O. Lyon has a strong defence line with the likes of Timithee Kolodziejczak, Dejan Levron, Pape Diakhate, and Anthony Rivielleir. Midfield duties are given to the very talented group of players; Yoann Gorcuff, Michel Bastos, Miralem Pjanic and Jeremy Toulalan. And the attackers for French side are Jimmy Briand and Lasendro Lopez.
The German Club Schalke made some changes in their unpredictable squad. Schalke starting line-up includes Manuel Neuer, the young German keeper who also featured in the world cup and was part of the FIFA WORLD CUP SOUTH AFRICA’s best team. Helping the young German keeper on the defence are Ciprian Desc, Hans Saoer, Nicolas Piestan and Benedikt Howedes. In the midfield, Jermaine Jones, Ivan Rakitic, and Christoph Moritz are playing. Schalke are playing with striker Raul, Hunterlaar and Augustin Farfan.
The first half of the match was full of action. It was level for the first 20 minutes until Michel Bastos opened scoring for the home side scoring a very superb goal. With the home advantage and a goal in the bag, O. Lyon kept on dominating the German visitors. There was huge support for the O. Lyon as the energetic crowd produced an electrifying atmosphere; their fans were applauding every single move of their football players.
However, in the eventful first half, Michel Bastos was also yellow carded on 31st minute. The moment of the match came when a Schalke player was red carded because of his ruthless tackle on Gourcuff. It was the moment that witnessed the crowd to its highest node. Despite creating many opportunities, the French side failed to take many of the chances. The late shot of Raul nearly took the breath away of every fan present in that stadium. He managed to hit the woodwork but was unlucky as the ball went out for the goal kick. With one man down, O. Lyon was constantly dominating the German side. Most notable was when Michel Bastos scored for the French side and gave them very early much needed lead.
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