Tuesday 6/3/2007)
vs.
Spalletti wants historic win
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Roma Coach Luciano Spalletti is aware that Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Lyon is a historic occasion for the capital city club.
The Giallorossi visit the French champions after being held to a goalless draw two weeks ago in Rome and are aware that it won’t be an easy match given Lyon’s 18-match unbeaten run at home in European football.
“We know that this clash is very important for the team’s future,” said Spalletti before leaving for France.
“The match is also crucial for the history of this club. We have the feeling that the game we will play can be very important for our supporters and we must not forget that.”
Roma dropped 16 points behind Inter over the weekend after the 1-1 draw with bottom of the table Ascoli and rumours suggested that the Coach was not happy with his men’s performance.
“I did not scold anyone after the match and I never said that the team did not do give its all,” declared the former Udinese tactician.
“I was not mad with the individual players, I only explained what I didn’t like about the team’s performance,” concluded Spalletti.
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Lyon receive Roma with confidence
Olympique Lyonnais have a fourth successive UEFA Champions League quarter-final place in their sights as they welcome AS Roma to the Stade de Gerland. The French champions' 0-0 draw in Rome in the first leg of this knockout round tie leaves them as slight favourites, especially given their 18-match unbeaten run at home in European football's premier club competition.
• Lyon have won 12 of those 18 matches without loss, including victories in this season's group stage over Real Madrid CF (2-0) and FC Dynamo Kyiv (1-0). They drew 1-1 with FC Steaua Bucuresti in their most recent home fixture on 6 December, but had already secured their progress by then.
• Lyon's last defeat at home in the competition was back in October 2002 when an AFC Ajax team featuring Roma defender Cristian Chivu came away with a 2-0 victory in the first group stage.
• Roma had mixed fortunes on their travels in the group stage, winning 1-0 at Olympiacos CFP but going down to defeats at Valencia CF (1-2) and FC Shakhtar Donetsk (0-1). In 18 away matches spanning four campaigns in the UEFA Champions League, they have won five, drawn six and lost seven. The club are competing in the knockout stages for the first time.
• This is only the third visit to France for the Serie A side, who won 2-0 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1990/91 UEFA Cup third round. The following year they saw their UEFA Cup Winners' Cup hopes end with a 1-0 quarter-final reverse at AS Monaco FC. Overall, their record against French opposition reads two wins, three draws and one defeat.
• Lyon have faced Italian visitors five times previously on home soil, winning twice, drawing twice and losing once. Last season they were held 0-0 by AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final and eventually succumbed 3-1 on aggregate.
• The teams' goalless draw in the first leg in Rome was the first time in four successive attempts that Lyon had not won the away leg in a last 16 tie. Their home results have been even more impressive at this stage in recent seasons, with victories over Real Sociedad de Fútbol (1-0 in 2003/04), Werder Bremen (7-2 in 2004/05) and PSV Eindhoven (4-0 in 2005/06).
• The last side to win a UEFA Champions League tie after drawing the first leg at home were FC Porto in the 2003/04 semi-finals. Since then ten teams have tried but failed to regain the initiative in a tie following a home first-leg draw.
• Lyon coach Gérard Houllier got the better of Roma with his old club Liverpool FC in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup fourth round. Liverpool won the first leg 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico before a 1-0 victory for Roma at Anfield in the return.
• Four Lyon players and three from Roma faced off in the FIFA World Cup final last summer. Lyon's French internationals Eric Abidal, Alou Diarra, Florent Malouda and Sylvain Wiltord all featured in the final from which the Giallorossi's Italy trio of Simone Perrotta, Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti emerged victorious.
• The winning team will advance to the 9 March draw in Athens for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The Greek capital will also stage the final on Wednesday 23 May.
Spalletti wants historic win
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Roma Coach Luciano Spalletti is aware that Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Lyon is a historic occasion for the capital city club.
The Giallorossi visit the French champions after being held to a goalless draw two weeks ago in Rome and are aware that it won’t be an easy match given Lyon’s 18-match unbeaten run at home in European football.
“We know that this clash is very important for the team’s future,” said Spalletti before leaving for France.
“The match is also crucial for the history of this club. We have the feeling that the game we will play can be very important for our supporters and we must not forget that.”
Roma dropped 16 points behind Inter over the weekend after the 1-1 draw with bottom of the table Ascoli and rumours suggested that the Coach was not happy with his men’s performance.
“I did not scold anyone after the match and I never said that the team did not do give its all,” declared the former Udinese tactician.
“I was not mad with the individual players, I only explained what I didn’t like about the team’s performance,” concluded Spalletti.
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Lyon receive Roma with confidence
Olympique Lyonnais have a fourth successive UEFA Champions League quarter-final place in their sights as they welcome AS Roma to the Stade de Gerland. The French champions' 0-0 draw in Rome in the first leg of this knockout round tie leaves them as slight favourites, especially given their 18-match unbeaten run at home in European football's premier club competition.
• Lyon have won 12 of those 18 matches without loss, including victories in this season's group stage over Real Madrid CF (2-0) and FC Dynamo Kyiv (1-0). They drew 1-1 with FC Steaua Bucuresti in their most recent home fixture on 6 December, but had already secured their progress by then.
• Lyon's last defeat at home in the competition was back in October 2002 when an AFC Ajax team featuring Roma defender Cristian Chivu came away with a 2-0 victory in the first group stage.
• Roma had mixed fortunes on their travels in the group stage, winning 1-0 at Olympiacos CFP but going down to defeats at Valencia CF (1-2) and FC Shakhtar Donetsk (0-1). In 18 away matches spanning four campaigns in the UEFA Champions League, they have won five, drawn six and lost seven. The club are competing in the knockout stages for the first time.
• This is only the third visit to France for the Serie A side, who won 2-0 at FC Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1990/91 UEFA Cup third round. The following year they saw their UEFA Cup Winners' Cup hopes end with a 1-0 quarter-final reverse at AS Monaco FC. Overall, their record against French opposition reads two wins, three draws and one defeat.
• Lyon have faced Italian visitors five times previously on home soil, winning twice, drawing twice and losing once. Last season they were held 0-0 by AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final and eventually succumbed 3-1 on aggregate.
• The teams' goalless draw in the first leg in Rome was the first time in four successive attempts that Lyon had not won the away leg in a last 16 tie. Their home results have been even more impressive at this stage in recent seasons, with victories over Real Sociedad de Fútbol (1-0 in 2003/04), Werder Bremen (7-2 in 2004/05) and PSV Eindhoven (4-0 in 2005/06).
• The last side to win a UEFA Champions League tie after drawing the first leg at home were FC Porto in the 2003/04 semi-finals. Since then ten teams have tried but failed to regain the initiative in a tie following a home first-leg draw.
• Lyon coach Gérard Houllier got the better of Roma with his old club Liverpool FC in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup fourth round. Liverpool won the first leg 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico before a 1-0 victory for Roma at Anfield in the return.
• Four Lyon players and three from Roma faced off in the FIFA World Cup final last summer. Lyon's French internationals Eric Abidal, Alou Diarra, Florent Malouda and Sylvain Wiltord all featured in the final from which the Giallorossi's Italy trio of Simone Perrotta, Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti emerged victorious.
• The winning team will advance to the 9 March draw in Athens for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The Greek capital will also stage the final on Wednesday 23 May.
Very nice. And I didn't really see why they disallowed that 1st Roma goal...
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, l'OL has been pretty sluggish as of late.