Benzema picturing the road to Rome

Striker Karim Benzema is already dreaming of lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy in Rome next May after inspiring Olympique Lyonnais to a 2-1 win at ACF Fiorentina that took the French champions into the last 16 with a Group F match to spare.

Florence fillip
Benzema set up Lyon's 15th-minute opener, cutting back a low cross for Jean II Makoun to slide in, and added the second himself with a superb solo effort 12 minutes later which put the Matchday 5 contest beyond the reach of Fiorentina despite Alberto Gilardino's fine header for the home team in the final minute of the first half. The Viola cannot now qualify for the first knockout round and will finish their campaign against FC Steaua Bucureşti on 10 December, needing only a draw to secure third position and a UEFA Cup Round of 32 berth. Section leaders Lyon entertain the other qualified side, FC Bayern München, on the same date to determine who will progress as group winners.

'Extraordinary display'
"We put on a big performance tonight and in the end got the result we were after," said a delighted Benzema. "Now there's one more game to try and finish top of the group." Despite his satisfaction, however, the ambitious 20-year-old was quickly looking further ahead, adding: "I want to win this competition with Lyon, and tonight we were very good. We were right there in the game, we didn't tense up and didn't just think about defending – we played to hit them on the break as well. It was an extraordinary display. When we play like that, and don't let it go to our heads, we have great games."

'Go for it'
Benzema's fourth UEFA Champions League goal of the season was one to remember, the forward collecting the ball from captain Juninho Pernambucano and finishing off a short run with an angled shot past Fiorentina's French goalkeeper Sébastien Frey from just outside the penalty area. "When I picked up the ball, I looked left and right and there was no one there," he said. "So I decided to just go for it on my own. I'm really pleased to be scoring goals in the Champions League, it's top-level football and I hope it's going to continue. We've got a very strong side and we play as a team, that's the good thing."

'Finish on a high'
Makoun also pointed out how hard Lyon had worked as a unit, saying: "Compared to our other matches, in this one we did everything we had to right from the first minute to the 90th. In the others, we had our ups and downs." He also made it clear that Lyon had no intention of surrendering top slot in the group when Bayern visit the Stade de Gerland, adding: "We really want to finish on a high in front of our own fans. It's something we've taken to heart. We want to be top."