European Round-Up: Lyon Awakens, Marseille Rides Luck, UEFA Cupsters Kick Off

By: Sam | October 25th, 2007

Here’s an interesting role-change: Usually French clubs are lacking a bit of everything in the Champions League, and solid in the UEFA Cup. This week’s European fiesta had that changed around, with Lyon and Marseille winning and drawing respectively, and the UEFA Cup contenders gathering a win to go with two losses.

The big story was of course Lyon’s first win (and first goals) in the Champions League, beating VfB Stuttgart at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Goals from Fabio Santos (I mean it!) and some guy named Karim Benzema.The win gives Lyon a crisp three points in third place. Barring a major fuck-up from Barça or Rangers, Lyon will have to go with the UEFA Cup.

As for Olympique de Marseille, they’re still rolling. Although dominated by a vivacious bunch of Portuguese opponents, they shared the points, with Niang scoring first for OM and Lucho Gonzalez cancelling it out from the spot. With Liverpool’s loss in Turkey, Marseille is still top of the Group, two points clear of Porto in second.

In the UEFA Cup, the biggest game, featuring Bordeaux at home against Galatasaray (who are now repped on The Offside!) played out in favor of the good guys, though the Turks did score first through Nonda. Cavenaghi and Chamakh struck back to give les Girondins the three points.

Sadly though, the two others participating today couldn’t even manage a goal against the pretty rough teams they were playing against. Basel beat Rennes in Switzerland on the strength of a Marco Streller goal, and Toulouse conceded the all-important first-half goal to Leverkusen and couldn’t fight back.

Once again, I apologize for the vastness of my posting, and for the shittiness of this article itself. I’m busy, I really am, and have an unhealthy obsession with minesweeper.