Champions League: Lyon plays his all against Saint Petersburg – The World

Very average since the start of the Champions League with one point raised in three games, the Olympique Lyonnais (OL) is obliged to win on Wednesday at home against the Russians of Zenit St Petersburg. Zenit, which was full of wins, leads the group H with eight points ahead of Lyon, last, the Spanish team Valencia FC are second with six points.

Victory is therefore necessary to continue to hope to dream of the fourth round of the competition in their new stadium, which will be inaugurated next January. The president of the OL, Jean-Michel Aulas, has not given up on this dream: “Our new stadium in Décines is ready and it would be too stupid that our team is not. “

While beating the recall supporters. “We need it and we need Gerland is full. I want us qualifies. Everyone at the club is aware of the issues and players can be sublimated with a whole stadium behind them “, emphasizes the strong man of the OL, while the resignation was palpable two weeks ago after leg.

“We do not have our fate in our hands”

“It will be very complicated because we do not have our destiny our hands. We must be lucid. We only took a point even if given the content of our matches, there may be material to do better “, had commented the coach, Hubert Fournier, Saint Petersburg, where the start was disastrous with a goal scored after less than two minutes. “The reality is that we do not yet have the level to qualify qualify for the knockout final even if we have to hopes mathematically. At the moment, we must turn to the third place [qualifying for the Europa League] “, added the engineer.

If Olympique Lyon in the league, PSG dolphin and remains on two victories against Toulouse (2-0) and Troyes (1-0), is where he hopes to end of the season, his career in the Champions League is far to live up to expectations for his reunion with the showpiece event after a three year absence. The defense, even if it sometimes seems in trouble, offers guarantees in Ligue 1 with seven goals conceded in twelve days but is less in his element in the Champions League with five goals conceded in three matches including three in the only meeting in St. Petersburg.

11.5% qualifying Opportunities

In attack, the team suffers Obviously the long absence of its best player, Nabil Fekir, injured his left knee, while Alexandre Lacazette has not returned to the level of last season, finished as best player and top scorer (27 goals) of championship. His missed penalty at the opening of the European competition in Ghent against Belgian club AA Gent (1-1) gave a severe handicap to his team.

Never in twelve consecutive appearances at C1 from the 2000-2001 season, OL had discussed the return matches of the group stage without winning a single victory. With a point in three days, statistics, since the introduction of the current competition format (2003-2004), Lyon will agree 11.5% chance to qualify.

But some examples – Arsenal (2004), Porto (2005), SV Werder Bremen (2006), Liverpool (2008), Panathinaikos Athens (2009) and Galatasaray (2013) with former defender and captain of the OL, the Brazilian Cris – help maintain hope.