Coupet following Porto blueprint

By Matthew Spiro

Grégory Coupet believes Olympique Lyonnais can emulate FC Porto's achievements of last season by becoming surprise UEFA Champions League winners.

Outstanding campaign
Lyon have been in unstoppable form in France and in Europe this season but are still regarded as outsiders in a particularly strong quarter-final lineup. Coupet, who is enjoying an outstanding campaign in goal for Lyon, claimed the French champions' underdog status could help them.

'Unknown quantity'
"We know that we're not regarded as a particularly big team outside France," Coupet told uefa.com ahead of tonight's home first leg against PSV Eindhoven. "In England, for example, Lyon are still an unknown quantity. But we know we've got quality and reaching the quarter-finals two years in a row has given us confidence. If teams fall into the trap of underestimating us, then that's great."

Porto example
Last season Porto upset Manchester United FC, Lyon and RC Deportivo La Coruña on their way to the final, where they defeated another French club AS Monaco FC. Coupet says the Portuguese team's success has breathed new life into the competition.

'A more attacking side'
"Before last year the big clubs like AC Milan and Real Madrid [CF] were dominating the competition, but Porto's achievements have given us all hope," he explained. "We're dreaming of becoming the next Porto, even if we're a different kind of team. We're a more attacking side and we score more goals than they did."

Top scorers
Indeed Lyon are the top scorers in this season's competition, with ten goals against Werder Bremen taking their total to an impressive 27 from eight matches. They have been less prolific, but equally successful, in Ligue 1 and remain on course for the most successful season in the club's history. "The key has been our stability," said Coupet, who joined the club from AS Saint-Etienne in 1996. "We've been playing together for a long time, we've been in the Champions League for the last five years and we know each other well."

'Athletic team'
Coupet, however, is taking nothing for granted against a PSV side that has also been in dominant form in their domestic league. "They're a really athletic team and they're in great form right now," he said. "We saw what they did to Monaco and we're expecting anything but an easy game. The pressure will be right on us because people in France are expecting Lyon to go through."

Greater expectation
The 32-year-old feels there will be more pressure tonight than there would be should Lyon qualify for a semi-final showdown against either Milan or FC Internazionale Milano. "Lyon have never got as far as the semi-finals, so that is our main goal," Coupet said. "If we achieve that then we'd have nothing to lose against one of the Milan clubs because everyone will be expecting them to win."

'Pressure matches'
Coupet's exceptional form has increased the pressure on France No1 Fabien Barthez, who continues to block his path to the national team. But the Lyon custodian knows that playing in the latter stages of the Champions League represents an ideal opportunity to impress France coach Raymond Domenech. "A good international goalkeeper needs to be able to perform in the pressure matches," he said.

'Not in a hurry'
"I'll just keep on doing my best for Lyon and hopefully that will be good enough to get me into the France team," Coupet added. "I'm not in a hurry to replace Fabien. I've always made slow but steady progress in my career and I'm confident that my chance will come if I show some patience."