Despite earning a 3-1 first leg lead against Ligue 1 rivals Bordeaux, Lyon coach Claude Puel insists the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie remains “open”.
“It was an action-packed game,” said Puel. “Bordeaux came here to score an away goal but we continued with our intentions. The equaliser hurt us but we stayed calm, focused and carried on playing. The beginning of the second half was the toughest part of the game for us and then we came back and scored the third goal.
“There is a little regret that we did not score a fourth. The second leg is open. I know how good they are, I’m aware of their skill from set pieces. They are a team who can put lots of pressure on any side.
“For the second leg we’re without Lisandro, who was huge for us tonight. We’re also without Sidney Govou, who is also suspended, and they have [Alou] Diarra back. It’s open.
“Now we focus on recovering because all the players gave a lot. Credit to the substitutes, they also did well. After the early goals all the plans we had were blown away. We had one thing to do: take control of the game and win it.”
Bordeaux counterpart Laurent Blanc, meanwhile, maintained that he is “very happy” with how his players performed.
“The early goals made the game very open,” he said. “We put in place a plan for the first 15 minutes, though we did not plan for Lyon scoring twice. Although we lost, I might surprise you by saying I’m very happy with how my team performed tonight. It had been a long time since I’d seen them play that way.
“There were a lot chances in the game; there could have been many more goals. Moments before they made it 3-1 we could have pegged it back to 2-2. Then it was very open for both sides. The two goalkeepers gave great performances, showing that there were many chances.”
