Barça top group with good football (2-2)

Barça have achieved both of the main objectives from their trip to Lyon. They sealed qualification for the second round and performed well in doing so. Also, Rangers’ loss in Stuttgart (3-2) means they mathematically top the group.

Qualified, leaders and all done in style. Barça come home for Gerland with second round qualification assured, the top spot guaranteed and also outplayed French champions Olympique Lyon for most of Tuesday night’s game. The Blaugrana always looked the better side and went ahead thanks to an early goal from Iniesta, which was immediately cancelled out by Juninho...


Messi put Barça ahead again from the penalty spot in a game where Bojan Krkic was named by Rijkaard in the starting eleven and failed to disappoint, laying on the first goal and being involved in the penalty incident. With the game almost over, Juninho converted a penalty to equalise the game, but this did not mean that Barcelona could not comfortably feel they had been the better side.

All-out football
The game got off to a crazy start. It all started with a beautiful counter attack that saw Messi send the ball down the right to Bojan, who crossed on the first touch to Iniesta, who had no doubts about striking the home beyond reach of Lyon stopper Vercoutre (min 2). It had been a dream start, but the game had hardly restarted before Juninho drove home an inch perfect free kick from 35 metres that Valdes was unable to get a finger to. With matters all square again, the excitement continued with two clear chances, one for each side. In the 15th minute, Fabio Santos broke through on a one on one with Valdés and then Touré brought out the best in the home keeper with an absolute thunderbolt of a shot.

French fancies
The match eased off the pace for the next quarter of an hour, until Olympique had two chances to go ahead with chances that fell to Govou and Juninho, saved by Valdés and then cleared off the line by Abidal respectively. The Brazilian striker was having a lively evening, and soon had another chance with one of his specialist free kicks, this time seeing the ball just skim wide of the post. The French side continued to pile on the pressure, but Barça always looked in control and created plenty of danger thanks to the mobility of the strikers. The Lyon defence occasionally felt the need to resort to dirty tactics to hold Barça at bay, something which infuriated Frank Rijkaard to such an extent that he was shown the red card in the 44th minute.


Barça put on a show
The second half was not as end to end as the first, but started in similar fashion, with a Barça goal. Messi scored from a penalty after he himself had been brought down in the box following a pass from Bojan (min 58). The game continued at a frenetic pace and several Barça players were cautioned by the Italian referee. Lyon were visibly affected by the goal, and there was a muted atmosphere at Gerland as Gudjohnsen had the chance to settle the result with an effort that went just a little too high (min 62). Barça were in clear control by now and a pass from Gudjohnsen’s instep very nearly saw Leo Messi make it three.

Leaders
Ronaldinho came on in the 71st minute. Shortly after, Barça’s dominance was interrupted by a penalty committed by Abidal on Keita. Juninho powerfully stuck the ball into the back of the net (min 79) to set up what would be the final score of 2-2. Nevertheless, the draw, combined with the score of Rangers’ game in Stuttgart (3-2), was a positive one for Barcelona’s interests, for with one game still to play they have already ensured that they will qualify for the next round, and as group leaders too.

Goals :

0-1 Iniesta (min 3)
1-1 Juninho (min 7)
1-2 Messi (p) (min 59)
2-2 Juninho (p) (min 79)