Olympique Lyonnais V Real Madrid CF
Olympique Lyonnais v Real Madrid CF Gerland - Lyon Tuesday, 13 September 2005 - 20:45 (CET) Group stage - Group F - Matchday 1 Match officials Referee Massimo De Santis (ITA) Assistant referees Alessandro Griselli (ITA), Marco Ivaldi (ITA) Fourth official Paolo Tagliavento (ITA) UEFA delegate Karel Vertongen (BEL) Match preview Gerland set for football feast Olympique Lyonnais coach Gérard Houllier is predicting plenty of goals at the Stade Gerland on Tuesday, as last season's quarter-finalists open their sixth consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign against Real Madrid CF. Shrewd signings French champions for the past four years, Lyon have high hopes of transferring their domestic success to the European stage this term. They may have lost Michael Essien to Chelsea FC in the summer, but that blow was softened by five shrewd captures: defender Sylvain Monsoreau, midfield pair Benoît Pedretti and Tiago, and strikers John Carew and Fred. 'A thrill' Lyon's squad has recently been hailed as the strongest ever seen in France's Ligue 1 and Houllier, who has replaced Paul Le Guen as coach, is looking forward to seeing how they measure up against Europe's finest teams. "We have many goals this season, and while the championship remains our priority, we're all excited about playing in the Champions League," said the 58-year-old. "Starting against Madrid is a thrill for our supporters and a great challenge for the players." Madrid quality Houllier is expecting an open game as Lyon and Madrid both try to assert their authority in Group F. "The pace is likely to be very fast and with so much attacking quality on the pitch, I'm sure there'll be goals," he explained.
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