United look to end Lyon's challenge

Manchester United FC have given themselves a good chance of repeating last year's success against French opposition in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round after securing a 1-1 draw away to Olympique Lyonnais in the first leg of their last-16 tie. Carlos Tévez's late equaliser was a bitter blow to the home team who had taken the lead through Karim Benzema on 54 minutes, and it leaves them needing to overcome the odds at Old Trafford.

• The game, which marked Ryan Giggs' 100th appearance in the competition and Grégory Coupet's 500th fixture for his club, extended United's impressive record in France where they have lost only twice in nine visits. Their home record in this season's competition will also give them confidence they can now complete the job against Alain Perrin's team: they won all three fixtures on their way to clinching Group F by a five-point margin with only one goal conceded at Old Trafford.

• The only time their defence was breached at home was on Matchday 5 as United overcame Sporting Clube de Portugal 2-1 with defender Abel giving the Portuguese visitors a 21st-minute lead. Second-half goals from Tévez and Cristiano Ronaldo made it nine straight home victories in the competition for the Manchester side, with just one defeat in their last 33 games at Old Trafford, against AC Milan in February 2005.

• United will also be defending an unbeaten home record against travellers from across the English Channel in European competition. In ten previous games they have won seven and drawn three. One of those victories came at Lyon's expense, a 2-1 triumph in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage, which was typical in the sense that these encounters have not often produced wide winning margins. The exception was United's 5-1 trouncing of FC Nantes Atlantique in the 2001/02 second group stage.

• At this stage 12 months ago, United won away to LOSC Lille Métropole through a Giggs goal and by the same scoreline at home with Henrik Larsson on the scoresheet. At the same time Lyon drew 0-0 away to AS Roma but then lost 2-0 in the home leg. In the previous three seasons the French champions had always managed to get through this round before meeting defeat at the quarter-final stage.

• Away from home in Group E, Lyon recorded emphatic wins against VfB Stuttgart (2-0) and Rangers FC (3-0) after starting with a 3-0 defeat in Spain against FC Barcelona. They finished four points behind the 2006 winners in the section.

• The 2004 defeat at Old Trafford was Lyon's last visit to England. In United's starting lineups were Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes with Wes Brown and Darren Fletcher coming on as substitutes while Lyon's side included Cris, Juninho Pernambucano and Sidney Govou. Anthony Réveillère also figured but is suspended for his team's return to Manchester.

• Lyon's four trips across the Channel before that loss had produced one win, one draw and two defeats. In their only previous UEFA Champions League fixture in England, they drew 1-1 with Arsenal FC in the 2000/01 second group stage. Their sole victory came in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup first round at Blackburn Rovers FC in the shape of a 1-0 success.