NEWS
A selection of FirstTouch's best football writing, brought to you by emerging journalists, collaborators, and fans.
UCL Preview: Rising vs Reigning stars in Lyon-Barca clash
La Liga champions, Barcelona, have prioritised the UCL trophy and do have all the needed ammunition to bring the prize home. However, the “factory” of Europe’s brightest talent, Olympique Lyonnais, know how to upset big guns and will be ready for Messi and company.
Maxwell Cornet of Lyon celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with his team mates during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester City and Olympique Lyonnais at Etihad Stadium on September 19, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
(Sept. 18, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)
This one probably has an obvious outcome on paper but no so much in reality. One of the champions league favorites, Barcelona will have to be on top of their game if they are to progress past a young and stubborn Olympique Lyonnais. The Blaugrana captain, Lionel Messi, promised the Catalan fans that the UCL trophy would be a top priority this campaign and that they would give in their absolute best to bring it home. In all honesty, you have to believe they could.
Barca’s quality in all the key areas is indisputable. All of whom any Barca fans would have wanted to be fit for the visit to France, are. Long-term absentee and world cup winner, Samuel Umtiti is available for selection for the centre-back positions and so is 21-year-old Ousmane Dembele who will be contending for a starting forward position with the likes of Coutinho and Ghanaian Kevin Prince Boateng.Yes, veteran champions league winners in Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique and superhuman, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen are all available to Ernesto Valverde. After steam rolling opponents such as Inter Milan, Tottenham and PSV in the group stage where they finished unbeaten, you must believe the Spanish champions mean business. They are not the only ones to do so though, coincidentally, Lyon did.
Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on October 03, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Getty Images Europe)
The French Ligue 1 side won only one of their six UCL group stage matches but could never be humbled to a defeat even when faced with the challenge of the likes of Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk and Hoffenheim. In fact, they inflicted City’s first defeat of the season at the Etihad and settled for a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture with Ivory Coast’s Maxwell Cornet, 22, netting in both fixtures. Bruno Genesio’s men love a big game, also having recently subject PSG to their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season and you must believe they are fit to stand toe-toe against anyone. Barca do have the experience and quality players but Lyon currently boasts of some of the most sought after talents in European football right now. They include 23-year-old Burkinabe international in Bertrand Traore, the “new Pogba” Tanguy Ndombele (22), “reincarnation of Iniesta” Houssem Aouar (20), Barcelona’s target to replace Jordi Alba in Ferland Mendy (23), forward Moussa Dembele (22) and the likes of Memphis Depay.
It’s a battle between the experienced who must win versus the young bright kids with absolutely nothing to lose but willing to give their all.
My prediction: Barcelona will do just enough to go through to the next round even though it will be a fierce contest.
UCL Matchday 5: Lyon's African cast set to slow Man City's momentum
Lyon is the only team to have humbled Manchester City to a defeat in the 2018/19 season. Can they do it again at home In France as the UEFA Champions League group stage draws to a close?
“All of Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traore, Mousa Dembele of Malian descent, Fekir of Algerian descent, Ndombele of Congolese heritage, Ivory Coast’s Maxwell Cornet and the inform Dutch forward in Memphis Depay will all be options available to take the game to City.”
Manchester City’s first and only defeat in the 2018/19 football season came against Olympique Lyonnais back in September at the Etihad. It was an opening group match of the UEFA Champions League campaign where Nabil Fekir, Ivory Coast’s Maxwell Cornet and Memphis Depay were at the centre of proceedings as the Ligue 1 outfit registered an impressive unlikely victory. It’s on again, Pep Guardiola’s City have a chance to exact some revenge or to be humbled once more as they take flight to France on Tuesday.
Maxwell Cornet of Lyon celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with his team mates during the Group F match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester City and Olympique Lyonnais at Etihad Stadium on September 19, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
(Sept. 18, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)
The notion of Manchester City assuming the status of Europe’s most deadly team is not so far fetched now. After a record breaking title winning premier league season last year, they look to be continuing from where they left from. It’s difficult to find any other club in Europe’s top leagues that has been equally as impressive. Of course Lyon’s league mates in PSG are still spotless but then you would have to consider the context. It is matches like the loss against Lyon or the one against Liverpool in the UCL quarter-finals last season that cast some doubts on Manchester City as a whole and their standing amongst Europe’s elite clubs. If there are matches that are more important to Manchester City and their continued successes, it’s such a continental match against Lyon that they have proven to easily lose in recent times. They will be heading into this one fully aware of the need to tighten their grip on so called lesser teams.
On the other hand, second placed Lyon, both in the champions league group F and on the French Ligue 1 standings will be a tough opposition. They may be far off the pace from PSG in the domestic league but are still yet to lose a game in the UCL this campaign. They are three points off City and face convincing opposition from Hoffenheim who also look keen on the champions league knockout spots. Of major interest, will be Lyon’s African blended attacking setup that proved to be a difficult presentation for City in the last time out. All of Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traore, Mousa Dembele of Malian descent, Fekir of Algerian descent, Ndombele of Congolese heritage, Ivory Coast’s Maxwell Cornet and the inform Dutch forward in Memphis Depay will all be options available to take the game to City.
It’s a must watch, loads of fun on show and ofcourse, we will be closely following it.