La Real oust Lyon and return to Europe's elite
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, August 29, 2013
Real Sociedad booked their place in the lucrative group stage of the Champions League on Wednesday night following a 2-0 win at home to French side Olympique Lyon.
Carlos Vela was the hero of the night with both of the Basque sides' goals to give them a 4-0 aggregate win which on the evidence of 180 minutes football was fully deserved.
The team from San Sebastian were always favorites to qualify after a stunning 2-0 win in France a week ago gave them a big advantage in front of their home fans in the Anoeta Stadium.
With around 30 million dollars at stake if they qualified, the Basque players had commented that it was perhaps the most important game of their lives and that they needed to be quick off the mark after a 1-1 draw at the weekend in the Spanish league.
However, that message failed to sink home and for the opening minutes, as the home side seemed nervous and allowed Lyon to dictate matters until Haris Seferovic set up Antoine Griezmanm who looked to chip Lyon keeper Anthony Lopes, but without success when clean through.
That was the sign for the home side to take control and after 20 minutes a magnificent passing move ended with Serefovic's header blocked by a defender's leg.
Carlos Vela then fired just wide after a corner, before seeing Lopes save another effort before the break.
The second half continued with Lyon failing threaten the Real Sociedad goal, while the home side failed to take their chances, the best of which was speared wide by Seferovic just before the hour as Griezmann launched a break with Lyon pushing further and further forward in search of the two goals they needed to provoke extra time.
The goal finally came in the 67th minute as Vela headed home from a corner which came as the result of another Lopes save to deny Serefovic. The Mexican was left totally unmarked on the Lyon penalty area to head past the helpless Lyon keeper and send home fans wild.
Lopes was Lyon's man of the match and proved that with another flying save to deny Griezmann from a free kick just three minutes after the goal.
Lyon had disappeared from the game, as the home side appeared to grew in confidence, something their new coach Jagoba Arraste can be proud of in only his fourth competitive game in charge.
Lyon began to have more of the ball in the closing moments of the match, but were unable to create the chances they needed against a well-organized home defense and Vela finished off the game with his second of the night following a weaving run through the Lyon defense in the last minute of the game to make it 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate.
When Real Sociedad sold midfielder, Aiser Illaramendi to Real Madrid this summer, many believed it could hurt their Champions League options, but with this result it merely means the club's economy has now received a double economic boost.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)