Lyon still flying high

Six games unbeaten
Lyon's domestic campaign started in disappointing fashion with a 2-0 defeat to RC Lens, who quickly became the team to beat in France this season, but that was followed by a six-game unbeaten run that featured five wins. The top scorers in the division, Lyon went into December riding high in second place in the table.

Tough draw
In the Champions League, Lyon found themselves in a group featuring FC Barcelona and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. It was a tough draw but they were only just eliminated after picking up nine points from their six matches. The star man was their summer signing from champions FC Nantes Atlantique, Eric Carrière, who scored four goals in his five Champions League appearances.

Last-gasp goal
Lyon made the worst possible start to the first group stage with defeats in their opening two games but, marshalled by Carrière, they soon bounced back. On Matchday Three, they won with a last-gasp goal against Fenerbahçe SK from Christophe Delmotte. That was followed up by a 2-0 defeat in the Camp Nou to FC Barcelona and a 3-1 home win over the Turkish champions with goals scored by Sydney Govou, Carrière and Delmotte.

Just edged out
On Matchday Five, Lyon lost by the odd goal in five against Barcelona in one of the best matches of the stage. The French club found themselves two behind after a goal apiece for Patrick Kluivert and Rivaldo but, just as they had in Turkey, Jacques Santini’s men battled until the end. Pegguy Luyindula pulled one back in the 66th minute and Carrière thought he had given the French club the chance of victory with a strike two minutes from time. Lyon needed the win to survive but as they pushed forward in added time, they were hit on the break by Barcelona substitute Gerard López.

Striker returns
So it was the UEFA Cup for Lyon, and an entrance at the third round stage against Belgian club Club Brugge KV. It was a game also notable for the European return of striker Sonny Anderson who had missed Lyon's last five Champions League matches with a recurrence of a thigh injury. Anderson was to prove the difference for the French side against Brugge and his clinical finishing left coach Santini wondering what might have been had the striker been available earlier in the season. 

Anderson treble
Lyon had looked to be heading out of the tie after the first leg in Belgium saw them soundly beaten 4-1, but Luyindula's late away goal was to prove vital. Anderson scored a memorable hat-trick in the return leg to send his side through on away goals. It was the perfect treble, as he struck with his head and both feet with the best of the three being the last.

Never-say-die attitude
That goal came in the dying seconds, again proving Lyon’s resilience, as the 31-year-old Brazilian fired home a right-foot shot from an acute angle. With that kind of never-say-die attitude, it would be dangerous to bet against Lyon going all the way in this illustrious competition. Their next opponents are Czech side FC Slovan Liberec, who have achieved some notable scalps already. If they can be overcome in the fourth round then Lyon could face Le Championnat rivals Lille OSC in the quarter-finals.