SOCCER: Olympique Lyon 1 Real Madrid 1:RARELY HAS applause turned so quickly to silence; rarely has a player looked as apologetic as Karim Benzema for scoring such an important goal, one that may have allowed the European Cup's biggest club to be a contender once more. Jose Mourinho described this as a double barrier for his side to overcome: not only must Real Madrid advance through a knockout time for the first time in seven years, they must also beat Lyon – the team they had been unable to defeat in six matches.
Their wait for a victory over the French club continues after Bafetimbi Gomis scored an 83rd-minute equaliser, but Madrid took an important step towards the next round with an away goal. The man who scored it was the striker who appeared more loved by the home fans than his own coach.
Benzema jogged on to the pitch as a substitute to a huge roar from the supporters at the club where he played for five seasons, winning four league titles.
Madrid had struggled against Lyon. Benzema did not. He had been on the pitch less than a minute when he helped to chase down the ball on the left, squeezing it to Mesut Ozil. A quick exchange between Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Benzema was dashing across the face of goal, away from challenges and slotting the ball past Hugo Lloris.
Benzema looked a little sheepish. No one else did. This was a huge goal for a huge club. Its impact was softened by the equaliser. A free-kick looped towards Cris. He headed down and Gomis volleyed home from close range. That goal saw Madrid panicking but when the dust settles they will judge 1-1 a good result. They will be thankful too for Benzema.
It was Benzema’s fifth Champions League goal, making him the club’s top scorer in Europe this season. Yet he had not started the game. Madrid were not, after all, to lament two posts struck in two minutes at the start of the second half, by a Ronaldo free-kick and a header from Sergio Ramos.
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OLYMPIQUE LYON: Lloris, Reveillere, Cris, Lovren, Cissokho, Michel Bastos (Briand 70), Gourcuff, Toulalan, Kallstrom (Pjanic 77), Delgado (Pied 70), Gomis. Subs not used: Vercoutre, Gassama, Diakhate, Gonalons. Booked: Michel Bastos, Cris, Pied.
REAL MADRID:Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Arbeloa, Di Maria, Alonso, Khedira (Diarra 68), Ozil (Marcelo 75), Ronaldo, Adebayor (Benzema 64). Subs not used: Adan, Kaka, Granero, Albiol. Booked: Sergio Ramos, Di Maria, Casillas.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
