FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.02.2009 10:31

Lyon v Barça: Did you know that…?

www.fcbarcelona.cat

This Tuesday Olympique Lyon and Barça are going head-to-head in the last 16 of the Champions League. Below are some curious facts and figures about the tie.

- Lyon and Barça have played each other four times in Europe, and Barça have never lost. In France the Catalans have one win (2-3 in the group stages in 2001/02) and a draw ( 2-2 in the group stages in 2007/08).

- However, Barça haven’t done so well in knock-out ties against French opposition, having lost to Nice, Metz and Paris Saint-Germain.

- This season Barça won all three away games in the group stages.

- Lyon are trying to reach the quarter finals for the first time in three years. In 2008 and 2007 they went out in the last 16, while the last time they did get through in 2006 they lost to AC Milan.

- The two coaches, Puel and Guardiola, played against each other in the 1993/94 season when the Frenchman was at Monaco. Guardiola was on the winning side in both games.

- Claude Puel also knows Thierry Henry and Rafael Márquez well, having coached them at Monaco, while Éric Abidal was under his orders at Lille.

- Lyon’s forwards coach is ex-Barça player ‘Sonny' Anderson , who played for the Catalans from 1997 to 1999.

- The top strikers are Benzema and Messi, who are joint leading scorers in the Champions League alongside Gerrard and Klose with five strikes each.

- French defender Toulalan has committed most fouls in the Champions League (19) while Barça have scored the most goals (18) and had the most shots (54). Lyon conceded most goals in the group stages out of all the teams in the last 16 (10).

- Claude Puel’s team hasn’t lost in ten games. Their last defeat was in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

- Both Lyon and Barça are well out in front in their domestic Leagues. Barça are seven points ahead of Madrid while Lyon are six in front of Paris Saint-Germain.

- Barça’s Márquez is one yellow card away from suspension.