UEFA Champions League – Match Preview: Olympic Lyon versus Schalke 04
French league runners-up Lyon are all set to start their UEFA Champions League campaign a group stage match against Schalke 04. Schalke, who hail from Germany, came second in the Bundesliga to Bayern Munich in the race for the German league title in the 2009/2010 season. In doing so, the German giants sealed their place in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
Schalke’s opponents Lyon are one of the all-time famous European teams. Lyon is French football’s regular representatives in the Champions League and is thus widely supported by all the French football fans whenever they take stage at the Champions League. Last season was perhaps, Lyon’s most memorable run in the UEFA Champions League. They made it till the semi-finals of the tournament and in doing so set a new bar even for themselves.
Lyon was conquerors of Real Madrid in the 2009-2010 season’s Champions League. This unforgettable upset took place at the round of sixteen stage. In the quarter-finals last season, Lyon overpowered their domestic rivals Bordeaux to seal a place in the semi-finals. However, in the semis they fell short against a very strong Bayern Munich. Against Louis Van Gaal’s side, Lyon was unsuccessful at home and away as well. Losing both the legs was a massive morale shaker as they went onto to lose the French league in May 2009.
As far as Schalke 04 are concerned, they didn’t qualify for last year’s UEFA Champions League so this will be their first European outing at the highest level of football in two years. This hands Lyon the initiative that have undoubtedly more experience in European football than Schalke. Nonetheless, the former German champions should not be underestimated as they have a tendency to surprise even the best of opponents.
Schalke’s form in the 2010/2011 season has been woeful to say the least. Out of their last five matches, the German club has lost four matches and won only a single one. In comparison, Lyon has been better but nowhere near great. They have only won one, lost two and drawn two out of their last five competitive fixtures.
Lyon’s last league match was on 11th of September against Valenciennes. Lyon drew the match despite playing their strongest starting eleven. Schalke’s last match was against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga i.e. the German football league. The former German champions lost that match by a margin of two goals as the finals score line was 2-0 to Hoffenheim.
Both of these teams have their own cast of superstars. For Schalke, perhaps their most famous player is Raul Gonzalez. The legendary Real Madrid striker signed for this German club in the 2010 summer transfer window and is expected to shine in the UEFA Champions League once again. Schalke also have the likes of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Edu and Christoph Metzelder in their line-up.
Conversely, Lyon’s team is based around quick passing and off the ball movement. Their most crucial player is their new signing Yoann Gourcuff. Lyon captured the talented Frenchman from their rivals Bordeaux.
Nonetheless, all eyes on the Lyon side will be on their star striker Lisandro Lopez. Lopez was signed by Lyon in the 2009 summer transfer window from Porto and has done pretty well since his arrival to the Ligue 1 team. Interestingly enough, Schalke and Lyon have never played against each other in the UEFA Champions League and as a result, both the teams will approach the match with a certain sense of mysteriousness to each other.
This in familiarity between both the clubs can either result in a tentative encounter or an all out attacking game. Lyon is favourites to win the match of course but a draw is a more likely result given the striking power that Schalke possess in the shape of Huntelaar and Raul up front.
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