You can see directly to my Lyon 2-2 Fiorentina
Despite a first-half brace by Alberto Gilardino, Fiorentina were unable to claim three points on their return to the Champions League away to Olympique Lyon, as second-half goals by Frederic Piquionne and Karim Benzema made it all square in this Group F tie.
Fiorentina travelled to Lyon to face the seven-time French champions in their first Champions League match for eight years. New Lyon coach Claude Puel, who knows the Champions League is the club’s primary aim this season, played with a 4-3-3 formation with Sidney Govou, Fred, and Karim Benzema up front.
His Fiorentina colleague Cesare Prandelli, who led the Viola to fourth place in Serie A last season, responded with a 4-3-1-2 line up with Zdravko Kuzmanovic behind Adrian Mutu and Alberto Gilardino up front.
First Half
After a scrappy first few minutes, the match started coming alive around the 8th minute, when the home side hit the woodwork as Benzema hit the post with a right-footed shot on a cross from midfield wizard Juninho Pernambucano.
When it seemed Lyon were taking control of the match, Fiorentina opened the score with their first chance. Just 11 minutes in, the visitors played a great counterattack and full back Luciano Zauri played a perfect cross for Gilardino, who headed the ball in from close range to make it 1-0 to the Viola.
The hosts reacted immediately by winning a series of corners, and in the 12th minute Fiorentina came close to "scoring" an own goal as midfield playmaker Riccardo Montolivo made a rare defensive intervention that put goalkeeper Sebastien Frey in serious trouble.
After managing to keep Lyon at bay as they tried to find an immediate equaliser, Fiorentina came close to scoring a second in the 21st minute, when Sergio Almiron struck a great free kick which forced a fine save from Hugo Lloris.
On the half hour mark, Frey was called into action again, as Benzema played a fine ball to Jeremy Toulalan inside the area, and the French midfielder fired a great shot that was tipped over the bar by the Viola’s goalkeeper (29’).
It was end to end stuff as Lyon saw most of the ball, but Fiorentina frequently made themselves dangerous on the counterattack. In the 34th minute, Jean-Alain Boumsong lost the ball in midfield to Mutu, who started a great run towards the goal, only to see his final shot saved by Lloris.
At the other end, full back Anthony Reveillere came surging forward for the first time in the match, and sent in a great cross for Fred, who could not quite take advantage as he sent his header wide (37’).
Once again Fiorentina proved to be more clinical up front in the 42nd minute, when Gilardino made it 2-0 with a goal very similar to his first. This time it was Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo who provided the cross from the right, and the Italian international headed it brilliantly past Lloris.
Before the half time break, Lyon still tried to create some danger, but their ball possession did not produce any significant chances. The teams went back into the dressing room with Fiorentina unexpectedly leading 2-0 thanks to a couple of fine counterattacks converted by Gilardino.
Second Half
During half time, neither coach opted to make any changes, but curiously Frey came out with a new orange jersey because the one he wore before the break was deemed to similar to Lyon’s.
The French champions began the second half in determined mood, as they knew they had to start taking some risks. In the 51st minute, Benzema forced Frey into a great diving save with a stinging shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Despite their best efforts, though, Lyon just could not find a way through a very stubborn Fiorentina defence, who were not ashamed to make a series of tactical fouls to keep the home side at bay.
For a long time, Fiorentina kept holding on and Puel’s team failed to make themselves dangerous. However, out of nothing they found a way back into the game, as substitute Frederic Piquionne slotted the ball into an empty net from a pass by Benzema after he had been found by a nice through ball inside the area (73’).
After that Lyon started playing with more conviction and put Fiorentina under more serious pressure. In the 78th minute, Ederson was in an excellent position to head the ball in on a long pass, but his header was easily grabbed by Frey.
Three minutes later, Juninho had an opportunity to shoot from outside the area, but sent his effort just over the crossbar, and Toulalan did the same a minute later. It turned out that this was a prelude to Lyon’s equaliser, which came in the 85th minute, when Benzema was found by a smart free kick by Juninho, and the young French international had no hesitation as he struck the ball first time past Frey.
In the remainder of the game, Fiorentina obviously tried to hold on for dear life to claim a draw. There was one final chance for the home side in the 93rd minute, when a free kick by Juninho just cleared the crossbar.
All in all, the draw was a just result and perhaps slightly less than Lyon deserved against a highly defensive Fiorentina side (consider that the French had no less than 26 shots!). In Group F, Bayern Munich are the leaders for now as they beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0 away from home tonight, while Fiorentina and Lyon obviously follow with a point apiece.
Danilo Pochini
OLYMPIQUE LYON-FIORENTINA 2-2
GOALS: Gilardino 11’, 42’, Piquionne 73’, Benzema 85’
Lyon (4-3-3): Lloris; Reveillere, Boumsong, Bodmer, Kallstrom; Makoun (59’ Ederson), Toulalan, Juninho; Govou (88’ Mounier), Fred (65’ Piquionne), Benzema.
Fiorentina (4-3-1-2): Frey; Zauri (75’ Jorgensen), Dainelli, Kroldrup, Vargas; Almiron, Melo, Montolivo; Kuzmanovic (64’ Santana); Mutu, Gilardino (81’ Pazzini).
BOOKED: Dainelli, Melo, Gilardino, Jorgensen (F); Benzema (L)
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