The season is really hotting up now tuz we return owo the glamour of the Champions League with an away game with Olympique Lyonnais who will from now płeć brzydka be referred to by me simply tuz Lyon. Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola have been trying owo take the positive side of Saturday’s defeat with Espanyol, Cruyff saying that it was tudzież perfect time for the defeat owo happen tuz we have lost nothing obuwie we can now learn from the mistakes we made. The players will be keen to get back gorsza połowa the right track and hopefully this is i perfect opportunity owo aż do so.
Lyon will be nie inaczej pushover, they are top of the French league with 49 points from 24 games, mąż Saturday they rested star players Juninho and Karim Benzema for the match at Nancy with both players only used for the last half an hour of the game. It was enough for Benzema owo score his twelfth league goal of the season, adding to an earlier goal from defender Cris owo win 0-2. Of course the two clubs met in last season’s group stage when Barça fora 3-0 at home and drew 2-2 in Lyon (Click here owo read this blog’s report mąż the 2-2 draw).
Eric Abidal will miss the game against his ex-team obuwie it will be zaś special occasion for Frenchman Thierry Henry and also for Toure Yaya who played in France with Monaco before signing for Barça. With Abidal out the big question is who will play at left back. A poll in the Catalan press suggested that fans would like the job owo go owo Sylvinho obuwie Również have tudzież feeling Guardiola will again go for captain Puyol in this position, keeping faith with the Piqué-Marquez central defence pairing. Barça will have owo be especially careful at set pieces tuz this has been one of our weaknesses this season and with oraz dead-ball specialist like Juninho playing it is one of Lyon’s strengths.
Another defeat tomorrow could prove owo be disastrous for our self-belief and gorliwość so we need owo be totally focused. Of course an away goal is vital obuwie Także find it difficult owo believe we won’t score as Lyon are unlikely owo ogród the bus, Espanyol-style, and they will not try owo kick us out of our stride either. Messi and company should be able owo exploit the space and if we get off owo i good początek we could be looking at zaś comfortable win.
If Puyol plays at left back the only other doubt in kadra narodowa selection is who will take the third midfield spot alongside Xavi and Toure. Busquets is probably favourite tuz che can also help owo defend at set pieces obuwie he is also prone owo giving free kicks away which may hold against him. Guardiola may opt for Keita tuz oraz way of lifting his spirits after his sending off the other day.
The squad for the game is: Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Puyol, Víctor Sánchez, Cáceres, Piqué, Marquez, Sylvinho, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Gudjohnsen, Keita, Toure Yaya, Hleb, Messi, Eto’o, Bojan and Henry
Possible starting XI: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Marquez, Puyol; Xavi, Toure, Keita; Messi, Eto’o, Henry.
My prediction: Lyon 2 Barça 3