Marseille vs Lyon

I know it is not a game like the likes of Man U- Liverpool, nore Real- Barca, but it's nevertheless the two (only) best teams in France right now.
At least an interesting game in France, coz all the other team suckkkk.

1. Lyon, 25 (+15) : 9 games
2. Marseille, 20 (+12) : 9 games

Cisse won't be playing but he has started training which is good news for Marseille.

If Lyon wins there will be a 8 point gap, which would be hilarious.

This year Marseille has lost 7 points, while Lyon only lost 2 points.

Marseille has won all the home games, whereas Lyon has won all its away games. In addition Marseille hasn't won a game against Lyon since 1997 Lyon has played on Tuesday, but only played 60 minutes since the opposition was too crap. Marseille on the other hand watched this game at home since they were pooorly eliminated last week but a unknown team.
So who will win the only frenchie battle ?

I can predict a 0-3 win for Lyon, but it can go either way.

0-2 Pity I can't see the match.

robert wrote:0-2 Pity I can't see the match.

Biased :
Marseille 1 Lyon 0

Realistic :
Marseille 1 Lyon 2

same kick off time as the barca-madrid match, Damn!!! can't see this match

I reckon marseille can sneak a 1-1 draw.

I think Lyon will outscore to win here... its crunch time...

I think all depends on how well Lyon players have recovered from their weekly game. But since they rotate a lot, and they win easily and make their opponents look like muppets, they should win. I haven't seen any games of Marseille this year, but of what I have heard they rely a lot on Ribery's form, and right now he's playing crap (i.e for France, or for Marseille).

Argh

Freekick for Juninho = Marseille 0 Lyon 1

Full Time

We were humiliated by Lyon on our pitch.

Marseille 1 Lyon 4

Juninho (FK) 0-1
Benzema 0-2
Taiwo sent off
Bamogo (clearly offside, should have been dissalowed) 1-2
Juninho 1-3 great team goal
Kallstrom 1-4

Lyon is already champion.

Great performances from Cris, Juninho, Benzema and, in particular, Govou.

Taiwo has been hailed by many, myself included, as one of the best left-backs for the future but Super Sidney really put him in his place tonight - such a wonderful dribbler, one of the best in the world.

Talking of great dribbling - Ribery will get some stick for his performance (unfairly in my view as there was little he could do when the team is that shit) but his dribble to set up Bamogo (miles offside) was absolutely amazing.

Only Niang impressed me for Marseilles - one of the most underrated centre-forwards playing in Europe.

Should have seen this one coming as Marseilles' formation is pretty much 4-2-4 and Lyon's superb 3 man central midfield was always going to win that battle.

Juninho's 30th free-kick goal for Lyon

Taiwo was so frustrated by Govou that he lashed out at Malouda and actually ripped a hole in the back of his shirt with his studs whilst going up for a header

Malouda was later stretchered off injured, as was Fred earlier, so the win has come at a cost - none the less, Marseilles have been well and truly put in their place !

Very good analysis Pierre.
Agree, Govou was awesome tonight. He is the most underrated player in France.

Napoléon wrote:Very good analysis Pierre.
Agree, Govou was awesome tonight. He is the most underrated player in France.

Cheers mate and commiserations.

Any club where they play "jump" by Van Halen as the teams run out deserves Champions League football and I think you might just get it

how did tawio play?
im expecting big things from his espically since last season lol.

im off, gonna meet my girlfriend lol

punty wrote:how did tawio play?
im expecting big things from his espically since last season lol.

im off, gonna meet my girlfriend lol

He was shit, maybe overrated.

Wow, that is awesome.
What i really admire about Lyon though is their ability for their players to reach their maximum potential.
For example, Tiago was only average for Chelsea but when he moves...hes a totally different players. Govou has been playing the best football of his career recently. Abaidal looks so much better for Lyon than France. Hell, even Carew looked good for Lyon last year.

Kevin wrote:Wow, that is awesome.
What i really admire about Lyon though is their ability for their players to reach their maximum potential.
For example, Tiago was only average for Chelsea but when he moves...hes a totally different players. Govou has been playing the best football of his career recently. Abaidal looks so much better for Lyon than France. Hell, even Carew looked good for Lyon last year.

Did you just abstain from watching 04/05 then?

Ballack wrote:

Kevin wrote:Wow, that is awesome.
What i really admire about Lyon though is their ability for their players to reach their maximum potential.
For example, Tiago was only average for Chelsea but when he moves...hes a totally different players. Govou has been playing the best football of his career recently. Abaidal looks so much better for Lyon than France. Hell, even Carew looked good for Lyon last year.

Did you just abstain from watching 04/05 then?

No i did not. I dont think he was anything special playing for chelsea. Simple argument.

Kevin wrote:

Ballack wrote:

Kevin wrote:Wow, that is awesome.
What i really admire about Lyon though is their ability for their players to reach their maximum potential.
For example, Tiago was only average for Chelsea but when he moves...hes a totally different players. Govou has been playing the best football of his career recently. Abaidal looks so much better for Lyon than France. Hell, even Carew looked good for Lyon last year.

Did you just abstain from watching 04/05 then?

No i did not. I dont think he was anything special playing for chelsea. Simple argument.

Or not. He was a key player for us. He was the Essien of the team at that point. Obviously hes improved significantly with his time at lyon but to say he was only average. He scored important goals and played well in important games. Man Utd-Chelsea. He scores from 35 yards to put us back to 1-1 and we go on to win 3-1. Away to FC Bayern, he drove us on in the key 60-80 minutes when it looked like we were going to concede. He rallied the team and kept hitting his man. Chelsea-Crystal Palace. Both home and away he was on the ball. Away match he scored a belter, home game he got two assists. Tiago was not simply average. Tiago was a good player for us and most Chelsea fans were sad to see the back of him.

The Essein of the team? Really? he neither had the drive or the defensive ability that Essien had. He was far too much a spectator, playing five yard passes. Sure, he was a nice guy and people were sad to see him go but from a footballing perspective, you dont need him now, which is why you sold him for half of what you bourght him for.

Kevin wrote:The Essein of the team? Really? he neither had the drive or the defensive ability that Essien had. He was far too much a spectator, playing five yard passes. Sure, he was a nice guy and people were sad to see him go but from a footballing perspective, you dont need him now, which is why you sold him for half of what you bourght him for.

But you've only focussed on half of my post. You fail to see the reasons as to why he was more than "average" in his only season in England.

Kevin wrote:The Essein of the team? Really? he neither had the drive or the defensive ability that Essien had. He was far too much a spectator, playing five yard passes. Sure, he was a nice guy and people were sad to see him go but from a footballing perspective, you dont need him now, which is why you sold him for half of what you bourght him for.

Tiago was sold for exactly the same price as we bought him for.

Like £6.83 million or something.

Ballack wrote:

Kevin wrote:The Essein of the team? Really? he neither had the drive or the defensive ability that Essien had. He was far too much a spectator, playing five yard passes. Sure, he was a nice guy and people were sad to see him go but from a footballing perspective, you dont need him now, which is why you sold him for half of what you bourght him for.

But you've only focussed on half of my post. You fail to see the reasons as to why he was more than "average" in his only season in England.

Because for the vast majority of games he was average. Of course he will do some good stuff, he isnt an O'Shea (were not allowed to say Fletchewr anymore) but compared to the centre midfielders of other top teams of the others for chelasea at the time: Maka and Lamps, he was average.

Hardrada wrote:

Kevin wrote:The Essein of the team? Really? he neither had the drive or the defensive ability that Essien had. He was far too much a spectator, playing five yard passes. Sure, he was a nice guy and people were sad to see him go but from a footballing perspective, you dont need him now, which is why you sold him for half of what you bourght him for.

Tiago was sold for exactly the same price as we bought him for.

Like £6.83 million or something.

Ill check.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4191128.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/3930659.stm

Fine. i thought it was five and ten. But you still made a loss on him.

Tiago is an excellent player. It's funny that even after selling two of our key players (Essien and Diarra), the team looks even better now. Lyon have set a new French record, which is they have won 8 games in the row (10 with the champions league). Kallstrom- who so far has been a substitute most of the time- is little by little becoming a key player. Same as Toutalan who has been great.

Kind of sucks that Malouda and Fred are injured a month and 8 weeks. Dirty shitty Marseille. Benzema will have a bit more time to play, which is the only good news.