Puel urges Lyon to forget cup heartache
January 30, 2010

Lyon coach Claude Puel has told his players to get over the disappointment of their back-to-back cup exits by returning to winning ways against Paris Saint-Germain in the league on Sunday.
Les Gones went down 1-0 at Lorient in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday, having been beaten by Monaco in the last 32 of the French Cup last weekend.
Their hopes of silverware appear to be fading fast, with the team currently sitting 11 points behind league leaders Bordeaux and set to confront the multi-million might of Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.
“The match against Paris is very important,” said Puel. “We have to digest these two huge disappointments quickly and bounce back.
“The message is to recover well and quickly move onto something else, but you’re never guaranteed to respond well after a defeat.”
PSG beat third-tier Evian last Sunday to qualify for the last 16 of the French Cup but they, unlike Lyon, are still searching for their first league points of 2010.
The capital club have already lost to Lille and Monaco and travel to the Stade Gerland in 11th place, seven points behind fifth-placed Lyon.
Antoine Kombouare’s men can at least take heart from the return to fitness of last season’s top scorer Guillaume Hoarau, who scored against Evian on his first start since October.
Marseille, fourth, have the same number of points as Lyon with a game in hand but life is much rosier at the Stade Velodrome after they came from behind to beat Lille 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the League Cup last four.
The Mediterranean giants face a taxing trip to second-placed local rivals Montpellier on Saturday, but coach Didier Deschamps was enthused by his side’s performance in the victory over Lille.
“I enjoyed it and I think the players did too,” he said. “There were lots of good things; we controlled most aspects of the match, with a lot of movement, technical control and some nice moves.
“We must be capable of repeating this kind of performance against Montpellier on Saturday.”
Deschamps will have to do without France international goalkeeper Steve Mandana, who sustained a heavy knock against Lille, while Brazilian forward Brandao is likely to miss out after injuring his thigh in training.
Montpellier this week finalised the signing of in-form striker Olivier Giroud from Tours, but the 23-year-old was immediately loaned back to the Ligue 2 side until the end of the season.
Runaway league leaders Bordeaux remain in contention for four trophies this season – the league, both domestic cups and the Champions League – and coach Laurent Blanc says they will attempt to win them all.
“We’ll see what happens in the four competitions,” said Blanc, whose team host second-bottom Boulogne on Saturday.
“We have the time, for now we have the squad and not too many injuries. We can allow ourselves to rotate things. But the further we progress, the tighter it’ll get.”
Lille, third, host Lens on Saturday, while fourth-bottom Saint-Etienne will attempt to continue their unbeaten start to the year in the league when they visit seventh-placed Auxerre on Sunday.
Fixtures
Saturday (1800GMT unless otherwise stated)
Bordeaux v Boulogne, Le Mans v Toulouse, Lille v Lens, Monaco v Nice, Nancy v Lorient, Rennes v Grenoble, Montpellier v Marseille (2000GMT)
Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)
Auxerre v Saint-Etienne, Valenciennes v Sochaux, Lyon v Paris Saint-Germain (2000GMT)
PARIS (AFP)
Tags: Antoine Kombouare, Bordeaux, Boulogne, champions league, claude puel, didier deschamps, disappointment, disappointments, french cup, Germain, gones, guillaume, last sunday, laurent blanc, league leaders, Lille, Lorient, Lyon, MADRID, Marseille, Mediterranean, Monaco, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Olivier Giroud, PARIS, paris saint germain, quarter finals, real madrid, Rennes, saint etienne, seven points, stade gerland, stade velodrome, Steve Mandana, top scorer, Toulouse, winning waysRelated posts
Giggs promises Manchester United revival
January 7, 2010

Ryan Giggs has insisted it won’t be long before he and his Manchester United team-mates bounce back from their shock FA Cup exit at the hands of third-tier Leeds.
Manchester United’s 1-0 loss at their Old Trafford home last weekend was one of the most stunning Cup upsets of recent seasons.
But with United second in the Premier League, in the semi-finals of the League Cup and through to the knockout phase of Europe’s Champions League, there is every chance of Giggs, English football’s most decorated player, adding to his 11 league, two European Cups and two League Cup winners’ medals.
“It has always been the same here, one defeat and it is a disaster,” Giggs said Thursday ahead of United’s league match against Birmingham on Saturday.
“That is never going to change,” the Welshman added.
“But we don’t get carried away with that, just the same as we wouldn’t get carried away if we had won 10 on the bounce.
“It is up to us to work hard and get back to winning ways.
“We are still in a strong position in the league and we are still in the Champions League.
“The turn of the year is when we are notoriously at our best.
“We have a great team at the moment and I still believe there is more for me to win.”
Giggs, 36, was speaking after receiving the freedom of Salford, which adjoins to the west the larger city of Manchester.
Although born and initially brought up in Cardiff, Giggs moved north aged seven when his father signed to play for the Swinton rugby league club.
“I played for Salford Boys at both rugby and football. The United training ground was at Broughton, my kids were born in Hope Hospital,” Giggs recalled.
“Everything big that has happened in my life has happened in Salford.”
Giggs, a one club-man throughout his professional career, said he was close to following in his father’s footsteps and opting for rugby rather than football until, as a teenager, he met United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time.
“I moved to the area originally because my dad was a rugby player and I played rugby from being 10 or 11,” Giggs said. “I was certainly undecided.
“But at 13 I met the manager – and that was the end of that.”
MANCHESTER (AFP)
Tags: alex ferguson, Birmingham, cardiff, champions league, city of manchester, english football, Europe, footsteps, hope hospital, knockout, LEEDS, Manchester, premier league, professional career, rugby player, ryan giggs, salford, semi finals, sir alex ferguson, swinton, team mates, welshman, winning waysRelated posts
Alex and Guiza lead Fenerbahce to victory
December 13, 2009

After losing their last three games in the Turkish Super Lig, Fenerbahce returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Ankaragucu on Saturday.
‘Fener’ desperately needed a win to take off some of the pressure that has been mounting on the Istanbul outfit after their series of bad results.
Brazilian forward Alex put Fenerbahce in the lead after 27 minutes, but goals from Darius Vassell (38th) and Aydin Karabulut (50th) turned things around for Ankaragucu.
But the home side’s flexibility allowed them to fight a way back into the game, with Alex making it 2-2 on the hour. Spanish striker Daniel Guiza netted the winner with just two minutes left in regular time.
Fenerbahce are currently in first place, but may have to share the top spot again after Kayserispor’s away game to Istanbul BB on Sunday.
Tags: alex, ankaragucu, aydin, bb, Daniel Guiza, darius vassell, fener, fenerbahce, flexibility, game, guiza, Istanbul, kayserispor, striker, Super, super lig, three games, two minutes, victory, winning waysRelated posts
Chelsea to face Everton test
December 12, 2009

There’s no crisis talk at Stamford Bridge but events in the last fortnight have prompted Chelsea’s first bout of soul-searching since the pre-season arrival of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
The Blues saw out November with an emphatic 3-0 victory at Arsenal that led to Ancelotti’s side being hailed as Premier League champions-elect in some quarters.
But the mood has darkened since that game with a league defeat at Manchester City following a League Cup loss to Blackburn before this week’s scrambled home Champions League draw with APOEL Nicosia that the manager described as the worst performance since he took charge.
Suddenly the poise that accompanied Chelsea’s controlled start to the season looks a little less assured and there will be an added edge to their home meeting with Everton this weekend.
Manchester United’s victory at West Ham last weekend meant the champions capitalised on Chelsea’s loss at City, cutting the London club’s advantage at the head of the Premier League to just two points.
Another slip against Everton and the two leading clubs could be back on level terms, with the balance of power shifting towards Old Trafford.
No wonder, then, that Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole saw the meeting with the Merseysiders as a key match.
“We need to bounce back at the weekend and get back to winning ways,” the England international said. “Hopefully, we can do that on Saturday.
“The next five Premier League games are very important. The Christmas period is always vital. We want to still be sitting on top of the league at the start of January. If we do that we’ll be very happy.
“Any team can beat you in the Premier League and it’s very difficult to win games. There are no excuses. We’re sitting on top of the league now and need to be sitting there on January 1.”
Chelsea will be without influential midfielder Michael Essien after the Ghana star tore his right hamstring against Nicosia.
Essien will be out for up to four weeks, after which he will be leaving for international duty at the African Cup of Nations.
That tournament looms large for Chelsea, who won’t want to concede ground in the title race when they are set to be without Essien, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel early in the New Year.
Everton visit west London on the back of last weekend’s dramatic draw against Tottenham, when they recovered from a two-goal deficit.
Their season was in danger of entering a serious decline but the spirit demonstrated by David Moyes’s men squad against Spurs gave hope that the Toffees were about to get themselves out of a sticky situation.
Everton could soon be bolstered by the arrival of the Los Angeles Galaxy’s United States international midfielder Landon Donovan on loan, a welcome addition given the injury problems at Goodison Park.
Joseph Yobo is likely to miss the rest of December with a hamstring injury but at least manager Moyes can call on John Heitinga after the Dutchman missed the 2-2 draw with Tottenham through suspension.
Even though Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Seamus Coleman impressed as a substitute against Spurs, the defender is not expecting a starting spot at Stamford Bridge.
“I’m not going to look too far ahead of myself. I want to play, everyone wants to play, but I’m not going to be unrealistic,” he said.
“It (the Spurs game) is only one game and one game is not going to make me a player, so I need to push on.”
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: balance of power, carlo ancelotti, champions league draw, christmas period, england international, fortnight, Goodison Park, Joe Cole, john heitinga, John Obi, landon donovan, league champions, london club, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Michael Essien, midfielder, Mikel, Moyes, Nicosia, old trafford, poise, premier league, premier league games, republic of ireland, Seamus Coleman, stamford bridge, United States, winning waysRelated posts
Olympiakos beat Xanthi to defend lead
December 6, 2009
Olympiakos Piraeus successfully defended their lead in the Greek league, earning a narrow away victory to Xanthi on Saturday.
Leonardo put the defending champions in the lead after 31 minutes, and his goal was enough for Olympiakos to walk away with the points.
Panathinaikos host Atromitos on Sunday and need a win to restore the one-point gap with Olympiakos.
Third-placed PAOK Saloniki returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Larissa. Vladimir Ivic scored the only goal from the penalty spot after just four minutes.
Tags: atromitos, four minutes, gap, greek league, larissa, leonardo, Olympiakos, olympiakos piraeus, paok, Third-placed, victory, vladimir ivic, win, winning ways, xanthiRelated posts
Inter stroll to win, go eight clear in Serie A
November 22, 2009

Inter Milan got back to winning ways in Serie A on Saturday with a convincing 3-1 win over Bologna at the Dall’Ara stadium extending their lead at the top to eight points ahead of Sunday’s games.
In the late match, Parma beat Fiorentina 3-2 to move temporarily up to third spot.
The 10th win from 13 games this season for Italian champions Inter will undoubtedly instill confidence ahead of Inter’s Champions League match at Barcelona on Tuesday.
However Inter coach Jose Mourinho said: “The Barcelona game will be a real test for my players.”
Diego Milito scored his eighth goal of the campaign to give Inter the lead midway through the first half, and despite an immediate equaliser from Marcelo Zalayeta, the ‘Nerazzurri’ regained the lead four minutes before the break through Mario Balotelli.
With 18 minutes left, Esteban Cambiasso’s low strike wrapped up a comfortable win spoiled only by the stoppage-time sending off of Maicon for dissent.
“We won without too many problems and we deserved it,” added Mourinho before being questioned about the half-time substitution of striker Balotelli.
“He played a normal first half – he missed a chance, scored and then got a yellow card. Some players know how to play with a booking but he plays in the same way so I didn’t want to risk doing down to 10 men.”
Looking fresh after the two-week break, Inter quickly forced the home side onto the back foot and midway through the first half Milito, latching onto a downward Lucio header, was allowed time to turn and rifle home from six yards. It looked ominous for Bologna but right from the kick off they equalised with their first attack.
Martins Adailton’s fine left-foot chipped the ball over the Inter defence for Zalayeta, who showed composure to bring the ball down before firing into the top corner as Julio Cesar rushed out.
With Motta increasingly influential, Inter soon regained the lead.
The Brazilian midfielder played in Dejan Stankovic, whose left-foot finish hit the far post, ran across the goalline and struck the other post before Viviano jumped on the ball ahead of the lurking Cambiasso.
Bologna then conceded a soft goal on 41 min, when Balotelli applied the simplest of headers to a left-wing corner to give Inter the lead.
Viviano was beaten for a third time on 72 min with a goal made in Argentina – the excellent Cambiasso releasing Milito before running on to his compatriot’s cross to drill home left-footed.
“We knew it was going to be tough as Inter are the best side in the country,” said striker Marco Di Vaio, whose Bologna side remain 15th.
In Florence, Alberto Gilardino gave Fiorentina a deserved lead on 26min with a deft angled header from a Mario Santana cross.
Parma quickly got back on equal terms when Nicola Amoruso slid in to bury Cristian Zaccardo’s inviting cross on 30 min.
The away side took the lead on 52 min when Valeri Bojinov broke the Viola offside trap to apply the faintest of touches to a Daniele Galloppa free kick.
With second spot up for grabs, the Viola responded and after Juan Vargas had crashed a left-footer inches wide on 55 min, Gilardino showed his strength to meet Vargas’ corner with another trademark header for his second and the equaliser on 61 min.
Despite the blow, the away side grabbed the winner on 68 min.
With the outside of his foot, veteran Christian Panucci played in Davide Lanzafame and the substitute, racing clear, slipped the ball past Sebastien Frey.
Fiorentina fought in vain. Marco Donadel was given his marching orders on 86 min after picking up a second yellow card.
Then deep into added time, Gilardino got his head to another left-wing cross but was denied a hat-trick and the equaliser by a flying save from Antonio Mirante.
ROME (AFP)
Tags: cambiasso, diego milito, eighth goal, equaliser, far post, half time, inter milan, italian champions, jose mourinho, julio cesar, left foot, lucio, marcelo zalayeta, midfielder, s games, stankovic, stoppage time, winning ways, yellow cardRelated posts
Spurs can stay in top four: Redknapp
November 8, 2009

Harry Redknapp admitted Tottenham were lucky to claim the win that lifted them into the top four of the Premier League.
But the Spurs boss does not see any reason why his side, who leapfrogged Manchester City with a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday, cannot stay in the Champions League qualifying places.
After back-to-back league defeats, Redknapp was relieved to get back to winning ways and, with Liverpool struggling, he believes the battle for top four places is wide open.
“Man City will be right there, Aston Villa will be right there and looking to push the top four,” Redknapp said. “I think ourselves, the top four are very, very strong obviously and I think ourselves Villa and City will all be having a go.
“There’s no reason you can’t do it. It’s not impossible to do.”
Spurs were jeered off by their own supporters at half-time, despite leading through Robbie Keane’s early strike, and were fortunate that Heurelho Gomes was not sent off for bringing down Darren Bent to concede a second half penalty that the Brazilian goalkeeper then saved.
“We were very fortunate, the keeper’s had a fantastic day but that’s how it goes,” Redknapp added. “We got three points, you can play well and get nothing. We’ve got (Aaron) Lennon and (Luka) Modric to come back and when they come back we’ll play differently again.”
Tom Huddlestone went on to seal Tottenham’s win with a thunderbolt shot but Sunderland boss Steve Bruce insisted his side had suffered because referee Kevin Friend may have been influenced by the White Hart Lane crowd when he only gave Gomes a yellow card.
“For me the goalkeeper’s denied him a goalscoring opportunity so I can’t go along with the referee’s explanation to me which was he was going away from goal,” Bruce said. “That’s a load of nonsense.
“I think he’s taken the ball around him. If you look at where the ball goes, it doesn’t even go out of play, so Benty for me gets on the end of it, and yes there might be somebody on the line, but I would fancy him to score when he goes round the keeper in that situation.
“Now it might have been a different result, the reserve goalkeeper might have come on and saved it but we would have been playing against 10 men with half an hour to go so that would have given us a huge advantage.”
Bruce added: “I have to question if that had been the Stadium of Light we might have got a different decision.”
LONDON (AFP)
Tags: Aaron, Aaron Lennon, Bent, champions league, Darren, fantastic day, Goalkeeper, goalscoring opportunity, gomes, Harry Redknapp, Hart Lane, Kevin Friend, Liverpool, london, luka, man city, manchester city, open man, premier league, referee, Robbie Keane, spurs, Steve Bruce, Sunderland, tom huddlestone, Villa, white hart lane, winning ways, yellow cardRelated posts
Desperate Liverpool look for European boost
October 20, 2009

Liverpool, their English Premier League hopes punctured by their bizarre ‘beachball’ loss at Sunderland, must establish their European credentials Tuesday with a Champions League win over Lyon.
After opening their Group E campaign with an uninspiring win over Hungary’s Debrecen prior to a demoralising loss at Fiorentina, Liverpool are aware dropped points against the French could see their Champions League hopes beached as well as their domestic dreams.
Seven points behind Manchester United on the domestic front after shipping four defeats in nine games, the Merseysiders are inconsistency personified, although veteran Jamie Carragher insists the team can iron out their flaws.
“We have the quality and the belief we will get back to winning ways soon, hopefully starting on Tuesday against Lyon,” Carragher insisted after the Sunderland loss courtesy of keeper Pepe Reina being bamboozled by Darren Bent’s strike deflecting off a stray beachball thrown from the crowd.
Key to Liverpool’s powers of recovery will likely be the fitness of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who both missed the debacle at the Stadium of Light with groin injuries.
Without either star, Rafael Benitez’s men are less effective but without both of their talismen much of the heart is stripped out of the team.
Benitez as good as admits as much.
“I can only pray that Gerrard and Torres will be fit, they are very important to us. I hope they will be available for Tuesday.
“Steven is the captain, a leader and a player with quality who can always score goals. Clearly we will have to change something if he is still not fit, but that is the situation and we will have to adapt.”
Lyon head into their Anfield cauldron with problems of their own.
The French fans know what it is like to wait for a league title even more than Liverpool fans lamenting two decades without one.
Lyon had never won the domestic crown at all until 2002, when they embarked upon a run of seven in a row.
Usurped by Bordeaux last season, Claude Puel’s side had streaked clear of the field until Saturday brought their first loss, at home to modest Sochaux.
Lyon still lead the table – but only because Bordeaux also slipped up at Auxerre.
They head for Anfield with central defenders Mathieu Bodmer, Jean-Alain Boumsong and Cleber Anderson all carrying injuries.
An Anfield stalemate, coupled with a Fiorentina win at Debrecen, would severely compromise Liverpool’s hopes – though they have extricated themselves from tighter situations under Benitez, and not just the “miracle of Istanbul” in 2005.
Arsenal are ready to keep the English flag flying high with a win at Dutch outfit Alkmaar having overcome early nerves to win at Standard Liege and then see off Olympiakos, who face off in Greece.
Despite their good start the Gunners will be mindful of a 2007 elimination in the Netherlands at PSV Eindhoven, while Alkmaar have lost only one of 34 home encounters in Europe – to Everton in the UEFA Cup in 2007.
Group F heavyweights Barcelona, the holders, and Inter Milan, are both at home having already ended all-square against each other in Italy – to Russian debutants Kazan and Dynamo Kyiv respectively.
Kiev reached the Champions League semi-finals in 1999 when Andrei Shevchenko was leading their front-line. Shevchenko is now back at Dynamo this season following two spells with Inter’s arch rivals AC Milan.
In Group G, Rangers have ground to make up as they host Romanian makeweights Unirea Urziceni having already lost at home to Spain’s Sevilla, who will have a foot in the next phase if they make it three wins out of three at Stuttgart.
The Germans are currently second in the group albeit after only two draws.
PARIS (AFP)
Tags: debacle, English Premier League, european credentials, Fernando Torres, fiorentina, french fans, groin injuries, inconsistency, jamie carragher, liverpool fans, lyon head, Reina, seven points, Steven Gerrard, uninspiring, winning waysRelated posts
Gerrard and Torres missing for Liverpool
October 17, 2009

Liverpool begin a critical week at Sunderland on Saturday knowing that they must return to winning ways ahead of important back-to-back matches at Anfield.
Having watched his side lose their last Premier League fixture at Chelsea, manager Rafael Benitez knows his players cannot afford any mistakes at the Stadium of Light if they are to remain in the hunt for the title.
Liverpool already find themselves six points adrift of the summit after losing three of their opening eight league games, and entertain reigning champions Manchester United next weekend.
Sandwiched between Sunderland and United is a Champions League home match against Lyon on Tuesday, a game Benitez’s side cannot afford to lose after being beaten by Fiorentina in their last European outing.
It is an important period of games for Benitez and the Liverpool manager will have to do without skipper Steven Gerrard for at least the first of those three matches.
The influential midfielder was forced to withdraw from the England squad for Wednesday’s match with Belarus due to an adductor problem.
Also out is Spanish striker Fernando Torres who picked up a groin injury while away with his country.
Greece international defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos, who would have been on the substitutes bench, is facing six months out after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury during his country’s World Cup qualifier with Luxembourg in midweek.
With Lucas, Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insua not due back from their World Cup qualifiers in South America until Friday afternoon, Fabio Aurelio could start on Wearside.
The Brazilian defender, a substitute against Chelsea, is determined to banish his injury frustrations and earn himself a new contract at the club.
Having joined Liverpool in July 2006 from Valencia, Aurelio is free to start talking to other clubs in the New Year as his present deal expires next summer.
But he is not looking to move and is anxious to prove to Benitez that he is worth another contract.
“I feel very comfortable and my family is very settled here, but I know that it all depends on what the manager and the club thinks about me,” he said.
“We had started talking before the end of last season but then I picked up the injury in the summer and since then there has not been any more contact.
“I just want to play at the minute before I think about anything else and we will see how everything goes from there.”
Although Sunderland appear on paper to be the easiest of Liverpool’s next three tests, Steve Bruce’s team are not to be underestimated.
Denied victory by an injury-time equaliser in their last game at Manchester United, Sunderland will look to continue their improved form against the Premier League’s ‘big four’ as they bid to end a near seven-year wait for a home victory over Liverpool.
After only escaping relegation on the final day of last season, Sunderland currently occupy eighth place, with their upward mobility largely down to the 30 million pounds spent by Bruce over the summer.
Kenwyne Jones is expected to resume his blossoming partnership with seven-goal top scorer Darren Bent after Bruce insisted the Trinidad and Tobago forward catch an earlier-than-planned flight back from international duty in the Caribbean to allow for extra recovery time.
England Under-21 midfielder Lee Cattermole is making good progress after suffering a heel problem and should start.
George McCartney is likely to miss out with a foot injury, so with Kieran Richardson serving a one-match suspension and John Mensah troubled by a thigh strain, Paraguay skipper Paulo da Silva is ready to fill in at left-back.
Former Liverpool midfielder Bolo Zenden, 33, is set to earn a short-term Sunderland contract after a successful trial, but not in time to figure on Saturday.
SUNDERLAND, England (AFP)
Tags: country greece, cruciate knee ligament, england squad, Fernando Torres, fiorentina, groin injury, home match, Javier Mascherano, knee ligament injury, league fixture, league games, league home, manchester united, midweek, rafael benitez, six points, Steven Gerrard, winning ways, world cup qualifier, world cup qualifiersRelated posts
Bloodied Bordeaux look to re-assert superiority
October 17, 2009

Bordeaux’s French crown slipped after a shock 3-1 defeat at Saint-Etienne in their last Ligue 1 outing and the champions will hope to make an immediate return to winning ways at Auxerre on Saturday.
The unexpected reverse against Alain Perrin’s resurgent side was Bordeaux’s first league defeat in 19 matches and allowed Lyon to go into the international break with a one-point lead at the summit.
Auxerre, meanwhile, have recovered from a three-game losing start that saw them sink to the bottom of the table, rising to 10th on the back of a five-match unbeaten run.
Bordeaux’s Brazilian midfielder Wendel attributed the Saint-Etienne defeat to tiredness brought on by the club’s exertions in both the domestic championship and the Champions League.
“I think there was a lot of fatigue,” he said. “The matches against Rennes and Maccabi (Haifa) took a lot of our energy; energy which we missed at Saint-Etienne.
“But we’re second in the league table and still on track. We’re going to Auxerre for the next match and we’re going to do what it takes to get the three points and stay at the top of the standings.”
Lyon are France’s in-form side with six wins and two draws to date and guard the only unbeaten record in the top flight.
They host 14th-placed Sochaux, who will be without striker Charlie Davies after the USA international was seriously hurt in a car accident that claimed the life of one of his female companions.
The 23-year-old, who featured in the USA’s 3-2 win over Honduras last Saturday, suffered multiple facial fractures, a badly broken right leg, a broken left elbow and a lacerated bladder in the crash in Virginia and could be out for the rest of the season.
Elsewhere, Didier Deschamps’s Marseille travel to Nancy still reeling from back-to-back league losses against Valenciennes and Monaco.
The Mediterranean club also went down to a humbling 3-0 defeat at Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage at the end of September and midfielder Benoit Cheyrou says they must respond in the right manner at Nancy.
“We’re not thinking about defeat at Nancy,” said the 28-year-old.
“We’ve had three consecutive defeats, we know that we’re expected to turn it around but we still have to get the three points.
“It’s at times like this when things aren’t going well that we really need to show togetherness and solidarity. That’s what we’re trying to do at the moment.”
In Saturday’s remaining fixtures, second-bottom Le Mans host Boulogne, surprise package Montpellier — three points behind Lyon in third — take on Saint-Etienne, Rennes visit Lille and Grenoble’s quest for a first point of the season continues at Valenciennes.
Monaco, who moved up to fourth on the back of their win against Marseille, play Lens on Sunday, with Lorient facing Nice.
Andre-Pierre Gignac contributed a stunning goal to France’s 3-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Austria on Wednesday and the Toulouse man will hope to continue his fine form at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the last match of the weekend.
Fixtures
Saturday (1700GMT unless otherwise stated)
Auxerre v Bordeaux, Le Mans v Boulogne, Lyon v Sochaux, Montpellier v Saint-Etienne, Nancy v Marseille, Valenciennes v Grenoble, Lille v Rennes (1900GMT)
Sunday (1500GMT unless otherwise stated)
Lorient v Nice, Monaco v Lens, Toulouse v Paris St-Germain (1900GMT)
PARIS (AFP)
Tags: Alain Perrin, Andre-Pierre Gignac, auxerre, benoit cheyrou, champions league group, Charlie Davies, energy energy, exertions, female companions, Germain, group stage, Honduras, Ligue 1, Lorient, Lyon, maccabi haifa, Mediterranean, Montpellier, saint etienne, sochaux, Toulouse, unbeaten record, valenciennes, winning waysRelated posts
Calendar
Related Sites
- AFP
- e-soccertips
- Free Themes All - Blogger, Wordpress, Joomla themes
- Soccer Results
- soccerway
- WAGS
- WAGS Blog
Categories
- 1 League
- A PFG
- A-League
- African
- Argentina
- Belgium
- Brasil
- Bundesliga
- CAF Champions League
- Club Friendlies
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup
- Cup
- English Championship
- English Premier League
- Eredivisie
- European Championships
- FA Cup
- FIFA
- Franch
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Jupiler League
- LA Liga
- LigaBwin
- Ligue 1
- MLS
- netherlands
- Olympics
- Olympics Women
- Photo
- portugal
- premier league
- Primera Division
- Rusia Premier League
- scotland
- Scottish Premier League
- Serie A
- Super Copa
- Super League
- Sweden
- Turkcell Süper Lig
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Cup
- Umaglesi Liga
- Uncategorized
- United States
- Video
- Vietnam
- Wag Watch
- WAGS
- WC Qualifying Asia
- WC Qualifying Concacaf
- WC Qualifying Europe
- WC Qualifying South-Africa
- WC Qualifying South-America
- World Cup





