Anderlecht out to end Lyon run

Olympique Lyonnais are looking to book their tenth consecutive group-stage place but standing in their way are an RSC Anderlecht side whose coach Ariël Jacobs is banking on "the illogical side of football" to take his men through.

Quotes

Claude Puel, Lyon coach
I have a lot of respect for this Anderlecht team. They are very solid, very physical. This is a team with a lot of good points so we know it will be difficult. The heat causes a difficulty; it will play into the hands of the team defending most. They have a very good midfield with a big physical presence, but with some technically gifted players as well who can make the difference with the ball. We missed a lot of chances on Saturday [a 1-0 win against Valenciennes FC], but I would like to focus on the fact that we created so much – the goals will come. It could be an open tie over the two legs. I am generally satisfied with my team but we still have a lot of room for improvement.

Ariël Jacobs, Anderlecht coach
They are the logical favourites for this game but I believe in the illogical side of football. We have no specific plans to stop Lisandro. Lyon's strength is not down to one player, but their team as a whole. They have a quality side with a lot of individual talents. The Champions League is very different from the domestic league or the pre-season matches. Even if Lyon have not been prolific in front of the goal this season, we have to underline that they create a lot of chances. It is often said that playing the second leg at home is an advantage, but football is not an exact science and we will have to look at this tie as a whole. I do not think they will underestimate us because the stakes are so high. Lyon have the right to think that Anderlecht was a good draw, that might be true, but they will have to prove it on the pitch.

Key facts

• The two sides traded 1-0 home wins in their only previous encounters in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage. Brazilian midfielder Juninho Pernambucano decided the first game from the penalty spot before Finnish defender Hannu Tihinen avenged the loss in Brussels.

• Sidney Govou and Anthony Réveillère contested both games for Lyon, while Daniel Zítka and Olivier Deschacht featured twice for Anderlecht. Current assistant coach Besnik Hasi also appeared for the Belgian outfit.

• Anderlecht's record in France reads two wins, four draws and one loss. Paris Saint-Germain FC are the only French side to have eliminated Anderlecht in Europe, in the UEFA Cup in 1992/93.

• Anderlecht's most recent group stage appearance came in 2006/07 and since then they have succumbed to Fenerbahçe SK (2007/08) and FC BATE Borisov (2008/09) in qualifying.

How they reached the play-offs

• After winning the Ligue 1 title seven years in succession, Lyon relinquished their crown to Bordeaux last term, finishing third and having to settle for a play-off round place. Les Gones have only failed once previously in UEFA Champions League qualifying, losing 3-0 on aggregate to NK Maribor in the third qualifying round in 1999/2000. The following season, they overcame FK Inter Bratislava to reach the group stage for the first time, going on to earn an automatic place every year since.

• A dramatic season in the Eerste Klasse ended with Anderlecht finishing level on points with R. Standard de Liège at the summit, necessitating a title play-off decider that Standard clinched 2-1 on aggregate. Defeat set up Jacobs' team with a third qualifying round tie against Turkish side Sivasspor. They promptly recorded a 5-0 home win, with Tom De Sutter twice on target, before Jelle Van Damme scored in a 3-1 away loss.

Team news

• Lyon
Out: Sidney Govou (thigh), Anderson (groin), Mensah (calf), Clerc (thigh)
Suspended: none
Misses next game if booked: none

• Anderlecht
Out:Daniel Zítka (ankle), Sébastien Bruzzese (shoulder)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Jelle Van Damme

Previous competitive results

15/08/09 Lyon 1-0 Valenciennes FC (French Ligue 1)
(Gomis 37)

15/08/09 Anderlecht 3-0 KVC Westerlo (Belgian Eerste Klasse)
(Van Damme 28, Suarez 44, Boussoufa 73)

Did you know?

Lyon are looking to book their tenth consecutive UEFA Champions League group-stage place.