Lyon ruined former striker Karim Benzema’s return to his boyhood club by beating Real Madrid 1-0 in their Champions League last-16, first-leg clash on Tuesday.
The defeat will add to the woes of Real’s Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, who is under pressure to return European soccer’s most coveted trophy to the Santiago Bernabeu following the triumph of fierce rivals Barcelona in the competition last year.
Defeat continued Real’s desperate record at Lyon’s ground, having failed ever to win there or even score.
Lyon coach Claude Puel has been under pressure of late as the fans have taken the view that he is too negative in his strategy, but the former Monaco and Lille handler was sporting a beaming smile after this victory.
“It was a very good performance, but I wouldn’t class it as a great achievement,” Puel said. “It’s a shame we didn’t score a second one, as I thought we outplayed them in the second half.”
Pellegrini said that Real could easily overturn the deficit back on home soil.
“This evening, Lyon out-muscled us,” said 56-year-old Pellegrini, who gained the Real job on the back of an impressive five-year spell at Spanish rivals Villarreal. “We just didn’t know how to cope. It isn’t obviously a great result for us. We conceded a goal and failed to score one ourselves. We have to be more disciplined in the second leg and do to them as they did to us this evening. I am certain that we can achieve that and win the tie. I don’t believe the same demons that have plagued the side in recent seasons in this competition and seen us go out in the last 16 on five successive occasions have returned.”
Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had a quiet game by his high standards, being eased out of the game by some terrific Lyon tackling and marking, but he also kept the faith that Real would ultimately prevail.
“There is no need to worry, losing happens in football,” the world’s most expensive player said. “We are remaining confident, we can win the second leg and qualify, we have enough experience. Real have lost at this stage in the past five seasons. That’s going to change, OK.”
The French side’s breakthrough came immediately after halftime when Cameroonian midfielder Jean II Makoun picked up the ball from deep and powered through a retreating Madrid defense to hit a dipping shot over a stranded Iker Casillas.
Real were not without their chances, but the Spanish side could not penetrate a resilient Lyon defense, despite enjoying most of the possession.
Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain missed a glorious chance when he was clean through on 62 minutes, but the French-born star could only fire his shot directly at the oncoming Hugo Lloris.
Real threw everything at the seven-time French champions as they went in search of an equalizer and defender Sergio Ramos headed over the crossbar on 80 minutes from a Kaka corner.
Ronaldo had a penalty appeal turned down five minutes earlier when he fell under a challenge from the Lyon keeper.
Lyon old boy Benzema, on as a substitute, had one opportunity to snatch a vital away-goal, but he could only screw his shot wide.
The victory means Puel’s men are unbeaten in four matches in all competitions this year, while Real face an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals.
Lyon travel to the Santiago Bernabeu — where the final will be held later in the year — for the second leg on March 10, when Real Madrid will be without midfielder Xavi Alonso and leftback Marcelo as they will be suspended.
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