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  • Olympique Lyon 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb: Gomis great-chip

    Lyon ended a six-match run without a Champions League win against a poor Dinamo Zagreb side, securing a comfortable 2-0 win at the Stade Gerland.
    Both goals came in the first-half through France striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Bakary Kone.

    With Ajax losing 3-0 to Real Madrid in Pool D’s other tie, the victory puts Remi Garde’s side in a strong position to progress to the knockout stages for the ninth consecutive time.

    The French side were good value for their win and could have scored many more goals as they created chance after chance against a Dinamo side that simply could not cope with their pace and trickery.

    With the boisterous Lyon faithful in fine voice, it was left to Lyon’s top scorer Gomis to open the scoring with a sublime chip over the onrushing Ivan Kelava in the Dinamo goal on 23 minutes. Gomis was a handful throughout, yet he had been profligate, missing two gilt-edged chances either side of his piece of individual brilliance, when put clear.



    With the pacy Michel Bastos on the left and Jimmy Briand and Maxime Gonalons making headway the other flank, the Dinamo Zagreb full-backs were having a torrid time.

    The French side had several more chances in the first-half and it was not until the 42nd minute that they doubled their account. Clement Grenier whipped over a corner and Bakary Kone, left unamarked in the six-yard box, stroked home the second goal of the evening past a flailing Kelava.

    Just seconds before half-time Dinamo Zagreb were lucky not to be 3-0 down as Grenier was thwarted by Ivan Kelava in the Dinamo goal after a classy piece of close control.

    Whatever Krunoslav Jurcic - a squad member at the Stade de Gerland when Croatia defeated Germany 3-0 in the UEFA 1998 World Cup - said to them, it did not have the desired effect. Young Brazilian Sammir seemed to be the only Dinamo Zagreb player to show any urgency, but within minutes of the break, Gomis had again gone within inches of adding to the scoreline.

    The second-half became increasingly scrappy with yellow cards shown to Jerko Leko and Sammir for sloppy fouls. Lyon were happy to sit back and wait for Dinamo to chase the game, yet there were further chances for Grenier and Gomis’s replacement Alexandre Lacazette as Lyon opened up the visitors defence at will. Unfortunately they were unable to put the ball in the back of the net to ram home their total dominance.

    As for Dinamo Zagreb, who had been out of the competition for 12 years, they offered little in creativity and motivation. Hugo Lloris was rarely tested in the Lyon goal, but when he was called upon, he was alert, making smart saves from Leko and Sammir.

    Coach Krunoslav Jurcic will now need all of his motivational powers to rouse the Croatian giants if they progress into the knockout stages.

    Owain Jones / Eurosport


    TEAM LINE-UP:
    Olympique Lyon: Lloris, Kone, Lovren, Reveillere, Cissokho, Kallstrom, Grenier, Bastos, Gonalons, Gomis, Briand
    Subs: Vercoutre, Dabo, Fofana, Mensah, Lacazette
    DINAMO ZAGREB: Kelava, Ibanez, Tonel, Vida, Calello, Leko, Kovacic, Sammir, Badelj, Pokrivac, Beqiraj...Subs: Loncaric, Simunic, Tomecak, Cufre, Situm

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