Preview: Lyon-Barcelona

Olympique Lyonnais – FC Barcelona
Venue: Stade Gerland, Lyon



In the past 10 years we have many a time seen Barca start a season well and finish poorly and conversely start poorly and rebound in the latter half to finish with the title. Though it is early for such speculation we may be forgiven the hint of doubt that has entered our hearts about whether the we peaked too early and now lack the legs to see us to a triumphant finish. A hark back at our performances earlier in the season will show that we have been playing some mesmerizing football.

While the Champions League winning squad of 2005-06 had, as its most reliable play, the ploy of Ronaldinho drawing defenders and then finding Guily across the field with a diagonal ball, the present team has worked a more complicated system of concentrating play in small triangles and then penetrating from the same flank. To achieve this they have relied on brilliant individual skill and precision passing and an almost telepathic connection between players allowing them to anticipate and move in accordion.

In the last few encounters however there seems to have occurred, a breakdown of whatever ethereal connection existed previously, resulting in players being isolated on the ball and thus easily closed down by the defense. What we have come to accept as picturesque but routine was in truth nothing short of exceptional and cannot be presumed as a reality that will be easily regained. It is therefore time to dust off from the shelves the carefully hatched back-up plan.

Well its time anyway for Pep Guardiola to find new ways to facilitate offensive penetration by coming up with something different in terms of tactics. This need not necessarily be by changing formation. It may be by somehow reducing the defense’s coverage of Messi by providing some distraction say by a striker or midfielder moving in the opposite direction while Messi cuts across from right to left or encouraging Messi to choose the option of going outside his marker on the right thus having to deal with only 1 or 2 defenders rather than 4-5.

Another option could be to use Messi and Henry as conventional wingers i.e Messi on the left and Henry on the right with an extra man in the box in the form of Keita or Gudjohnsen. I am sure Pep will come up with a few innovative tactics so that the players have a plan they can try to implement rather than expect their usual saviors to come up with something exceptional again

While the charlatan patrons of attacking football Real Madrid may build a system of play grounded in solidity of defense with Barca the same seems inconceivable. In our offense lies the foundations of our defense. Retaining possession is like second nature to Barca but persistently presenting a threat with that possession will be what plays an important part in keeping Lyon nervous about going forward.

Lyon have not lost a game since their last CL encounter against Bayern when they capitulated 3-2 at home. Claude Puel has successfully used a 4-3-3 formation with two defensive midfielders in Toulalan and Makoun/Kallstorm playing behind Juninho who links up with the front 3. That front 3 consists of Ederson, Benzema and Keita with the option of Pjanic, Delgado and Govou on the bench. The standard line-up in recent matches uses Cris and Boumsong as center-backs and Mensah and Grosso as wing-backs with Lloris in goal.

The Lyon forwards and midfield pose a dual threat in that while being exceptionally fast all of them also possess powerful long range shots. The weak point in their attack could possibly be in the link-up from midfield in the form of an ageing Juninho who can be closed down by the fearsome athleticism of Yaya Toure.

This will by no means be sufficient however and Guardiola may have to choose between Pique and Marquez to partner Puyol assuming Puyol does not start at left-back. While Pique may be faster Marquez seems to me more decisive in closing down players as they go for shots or pushing them into wider positions from where the shooting option is more difficult. No one has considered Fabio Grosso as an option for the LB position as a possible buy in the summer and Barca will be hoping he doesn’t measure too well against the combined threat of Messi and Alves on Barca’s right flank.

In the absence of Abidal the only extra player that Guardiola has called up to the squad has been Victor Sanchez. He may be preferred at left-back as Sylvinho could have a hard time keeping pace with Abdul Keita. In midfield I would go with Seydou Keita and Toure as Keita makes a contribution at both ends of the pitch while Busquets would stay in the middle, his presence often being extraneous in attack and bypassed in defense. Xavi, Messi, Eto’o and Henry, our strongest line-up will take on a defense with Boumsong in it… and which conceded 10 goals in 6 games in the group stages. Much of the resistance will though come from the midfield duo of Toulalan and Makoun.

Victor Valdes has a chance to redeem himself for his blunder against Espanyol as in this match his prowess in shot stopping will probably be called on a few times although if I were him I would have spent the last 3 days practicing clearances. Barca’s lack of options on the bench is a cause for concern as with Hleb’s non-performance; Bojan and possibly Gudjohnsen returning to his striker role are the only attacking substitutions available.

Lyon’s boisterous crowd (the Bad Gones) at the Stade Gerland will not make things any easier for Barca who will be satisfied to return with a draw. Lyon have won 7 continuous league titles at home but they lost in the quaterfinal stage of CL for 3 consecutive years and another loss in the pre-quaterfinal stage this year to Barca would complete the trend as it would be their 3rd consecutive loss at this stage. I would like to see a roaring return to form for Barca.

Prediction: Lyon 2–2 Barcelona


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