European Football

Lyon on brink of seventh consecutive title

02:00 BST, Thu 1 May 2008
[-] Text [+]
 Email  |   Print  |   Digg This
 
Olympique Lyon's Karim Benzema (C) celebrates with coaches Alain Perrin (L) and Robert Duverne after scoring against Caen during their French Ligue 1 soccer match at the Gerland stadium in Lyon April 26, 2008.      REUTERS/Robert Pratta (FRANCE)

By Julien Pretot

PARIS, May 1 (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon will clinch a record seventh consecutive Ligue 1 title if they win at Nice on Saturday and Girondins Bordeaux lose at Olympique Marseille on Sunday. Lyon have a four-point lead at the top of the 20-team table over second-placed Bordeaux with three matches left.

With a much better goal difference (+34 to +24), a win combined with a Bordeaux draw would all but secure the title, further extending an already record sequence.

"I dream of it," said club president Jean-Michel Aulas.

"It is so essential that if the game against Nancy, which is three days after our Cup semi-final against Sedan, ends up being decisive, we will line up a reserve side (in the Cup tie)."

Lyon, who have not won the French Cup since 1973, are on course for the club's first league and cup double.

They could well get a helping hand from a Marseille side who are desperate to hold on to third place, worth a slot in the Champions League qualifiers next season.

Eric Gerets's side, on 58 points, are under pressure from fourth-placed Nancy, who have 57 before their game against relegation candidates Racing Strasbourg, who have lost their last eight league matches.

The Lorraine side will also be without key defender Sebastien Puygrenier, who has been ruled out of the last matches of the season with a groin injury.

The battle for survival continues on Saturday with RC Lens hosting Monaco and Paris St Germain travelling to Toulouse for a relegation dogfight.

PSG were spared a points deduction on Wednesday after an abusive banner was briefly unfolded at the League Cup final in March, where PSG beat Lens.

However, the French League decided that the capital club would not be allowed to defend their trophy next season.

PSG, 18th in the table and facing relegation, are level on 38 points with the two clubs above them in the table -- Lens and their next opponents Toulouse.

AJ Auxerre, 15th with 41 points, take on Valenciennes.

Any person accessing the football section of this website is prohibited from any unauthorised re-production of any photographs and or text content other than for the purposes of viewing the same as part of the web site.   
After five Premier League defeats this season are Liverpool out of the title race?
Yes
No - Rafa will take the title

Most Popular articles

advertisement