Twice over the course of the last seven days Claude Puel has seen his side falter in cup competitions. Against Monaco last Sunday they would submit 2-1 at the Stade Louis II, while matters got little better in midweek, with a 1-0 loss against Lorient leaving the general manager’s position once again uncertain.
President Jean-Michel Aulas has leapt quickly to the defence of the former Lille coach once again, but the Lyon crowd are aware that the chances of being able to celebrate any silverware this season are growing increasingly this. Les Gones lie 13 points behind league leaders Girondins de Bordeaux, while their cup hopes lie in the form of the Champions League – a competition even the most optimistic fan wouldn’t be brave enough to suggest they can win.
While Lisandro Lopez continues to plug away manfully in attack and Hugo Lloris stands stoically between the sticks, there have been other shards of light over the course of 2010’s first month. Midfielder Kim Kallstrom has produced moments of excellence, while the acquisition of young Croatian centre-back Dejan Lovren has been roundly hailed, though he has yet to produce a strong performance for his new side.
OL continue to be active in the transfer market, at least according to the media. Manchester United’s Anderson has been linked with them over the course of the last few weeks, but having to sacrifice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris would perhaps be a step too far for a club that has been surprisingly reliant on their young goalkeeper this term.
Lloris will certainly hope for an altogether easier night against PSG.
Mercurial
Paris Saint-Germain started this campaign with the look of a side who meant business, going through August in fine style, but since those heady summer days it has largely been a downward spiral for Antoine Kombouare’s men. Towards Christmas some victories impressive in their magnitude were recorded, though no major scalps have yet been claimed.
This kind of form has continued into 2010, with their latest Ligue 1 fixture a disappointing 1-0 defeat by Monaco. In truth, PSG well deserved to win that game but were thwarted by the excellence of visiting goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, while Mevlut Erding’s shots seemed attracted to the framework of the goal.
Erding has yet to enjoy the partnership of last season’s top scorer Guillaume Hoarau in Ligue 1. Hoarau missed the early part of the campaign due to adductor problems and then spent a frustrating period on the sidelines over the winter due to knee ligament damage. A scorer of 17 goals last term, he has been sorely missed.
Sunday’s difficult looking trip could be the first chance for the pair to perform in tandem in the league, with a brief dry run in the Coupe de France last weekend against Evian going well – the duo managed to muster three goals between them.
FORM GUIDE
Lyon
LOST 1-0 (a) Lorient (Coupe de la Ligue, January 27)
LOST 2-1 (a) Monaco (Ligue 1, January 24)
WON 3-1 (a) Lorient (Ligue 1, January 20)
WON 2-0 (a) Nancy (Ligue 1, January 16)
WON 3-0 (h) Metz (Coupe de la Ligue, January 13)
PSG
WON 3-1 (h) Evian (Coupe de France, January 24)
LOST 1-0 (h) Monaco (Ligue 1, January 20)
LOST 3-1 (a) Lille (Ligue 1, January 16)
WON 1-0 (a) Guingamp (Coupe de la Ligue, January 13)
WON 5-0 (h) Aubervilliers (Coupe de France, January 10)
TEAM NEWS
Lyon
Claude Puel is still battling the same injury problems he had to cope with last weekend. Cris, Cleber Anderson, Francois Clerc and Mathieu Bodmer are all poised to sit out, while Miralem Pjanic at least managed a midweek cameo, indicating his readiness to start once more.
Probable Starting XI: Lloris; Reveillere, Lovren, Boumsong, Cissokho; Toulalan, Kallstrom; Govou, Pjanic, Michel Bastos; Lisandro
PSG
Guillaume Hoarau’s return to league action is the big news, though there is also slight concern about the state of Mevlut Erding, who limped off in training earlier this week. He is expected to be fit, leaving Gregory Coupet as the only absentee as Stephane Sessegnon has returned from African Cup of Nations duty.
Reserve goalkeeper Edel is also something of a problem, but his physical issue is said to be progressing positively. Willy Grondin will take over if the Armenian international is out.
Probable Starting XI: Edel; Ceara, Traore, Sakho, Armand; Jallet, Makelele, Clement, Sessegnon; Erding, Hoarau
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lyon
Undoubtedly the class act of this Lyon side this term – in an outfield capacity at least – has been striker Lisandro Lopez. The club’s record signing from Portugal, he has looked a constant menace to opposing defences. He is a complete player and will be close to impossible for PSG to shackle effectively. If Lyon had a couple more players of his standard they would not be in such a desperate position.
PSG
The man who will attempt to handcuff ‘Licha’ is likely to be young centre-back Mamadou Sakho, one of France’s outstanding young talents. At just 19-year-old, Sakho is already one of the most accomplished defenders in France but needs to prove himself against the very best on a constant basis. Sunday provides a showcase for his talents.
PREDICTION
PSG have sparked only briefly since the turn of the year, but matches against Lyon tend to bring out the best of them. However, Lyon are more powerful side from back to front and looked in decent touch before their cup calamities of the last week. With home advantage and a degree of pressure on the team to perform, les Gones should take the three points, keeping them in the race for the Champions League.
Olympique Lyonnais 3-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Source:goal.com/
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