But this doesn’t mean that the excitement and the thrill will be gone in France and in the rest of the world when Real Madrid will meet with Lyon at the Stade de Gerland on the same day.
How Olympique Lyonnais reached the last 16 – quick recap
Lyon didn’t automatically booked themselves a place in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
The French had to see off Anderlecht first before being offered the honor of contesting in Europe’s greatest club competition.
Drawn in Group E, Lyon were put alongside Italy’s Fiorentina, England’s Liverpool, and Hungary’s Debrecen.
Lyon’s first four results in the UEFA Champions League were positive. The former French Ligue 1 champions started with a 1-0 victory at home to Fiorentina before travelling to Debrecen to crash their opponents 4-0 on the night.
In their second away trip on the trot, Lyon pulled out a stunning comeback to shock Liverpool at Anfield. 2-1 they won, against all the odds.
In November 2009, it was time for the French to host the Reds of England at the Stade de Gerland. Anything other than a defeat was enough for them to reach the next stage of the UEFA Champions League whereas for Liverpool, that encounter was a must-win game.
Ryan Babel’s second half volley looked to have secured all three points for the visitors but Lisandro Lopez’s injury time equalizer let Lyon celebrate their passage into the last sixteen sooner rather than later.
But Lyon lost their last game 1-0 away to Fiorentina and therefore lost the first spot in Group E.
How Real Madrid reached the last 16 – quick recap.jpg)
A second place finish in the 2008/09 Spanish Primera Division fired Real Madrid into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.
For the first time in the history of the Spanish club tough, they weren’t chosen among the top seeds. AC Milan, FC Zurich, and Marseille completed Group C.
Real Madrid’s first fixture was against FC Zurich away in Switzerland. They inscribed a 5-2 victory there and followed that result with a convincing 3-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu against French side Marseille.
However, AC Milan posed a big threat to Los Blancos. Real Madrid lost 3-2 at home to the Rossoneri before drawing 1-1 at the San Siro.
Real Madrid closed their Group C fixtures with a 3-1 victory at the Stade Vélodrome against Marseille.
This result helped the Spanish giants keep hold of the first place in Group C ahead of AC Milan who finished as runners-up.
Lyon vs Real Madrid – UEFA Champions League relevant facts
Real Madrid’s head to head against Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade de Gerland is negative from a Madridista point of view.
We look at a couple of facts among many which might keep football fans wondering: are Florentino Perez’s millionaires really going into Tuesday’s match as favorites?
Fact 1: During the 2005/2006 UEFA Champions League campaign, Real Madrid and Lyon were paired in the same group. In their first game, Lyon overpowered Real Madrid 3-0 at home for a good start to their European campaign. They eventually topped their table as well.
Face 2: It was the same issue a year later. Real Madrid and Lyon again found themselves in the same group. For another time, Lyon inflicted defeat on the Spanish giants. The only difference was that the margin was lesser. The result was 2-0 and not 3-0 as it had happened during the 2005/06 season.
Lyon vs Real Madrid - players to watch.jpg)
Cristiano Ronaldo:
It seems like the Portuguese superstar has developed a habit of scoring against French oppositions.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the match winner against Olympique Lyonnais at Old Trafford for Manchester United in the knockout stages of the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League season.
Cristiano Ronaldo could be doing the same for Real Madrid come Tuesday. Ronaldo is the UEFA Champions League top scorer with six goals at the moment.
Four of these six goals came against Marseille. Can he hit goal number 7 against Lyon on February 16th?
Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema:
There is a rivalry against these two strikers. Gonzalo Higuain is gaining the hearts and admiration of Real Madrid fans with his stunning goal scoring form.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema is trying to cement his name in Real Madrid’s starting lineup. Should he get some playing time against Lyon on Tuesday, he could be influential for Los Blancos.
Benzema will be in the spotlight as a former Lyon star coming up against his old team at the Stade de Gerland.
Lisandro Lopez:
He is among the UEFA Champions League top five scorers with five goals. Lopez can have quiet games at times but he is arguably Lyon’s number one inspiration in attack in the Champions League.
French fans will hope to see the Argentine striker steal the show against his Argentine rival Gonzalo Higuain and against the current top scorer of the tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League season, Real Madrid always fail to pass beyond the last sixteen stage. Will Lyon offer them some grace?
