Manchester United Vs. Olympique Lyon Result Report

United may not have been at their flamboyant best, nor even their most devastatingly ruthless, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal three minutes from half time was enough to see the Reds through to the Champions League quarter finals at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo's 30th goal in 30 games gave the Reds a tenth straight Champions League win at Old Trafford. Lyon, solid and tactically tight but, to their detriment, unadventurous, set the tone for this game. But United broke the mould – if only once – in a game of few chances.

It’s always difficult to second-guess Sir Alex’s team selection, especially with the multitude of options currently available to him. But the Reds boss still managed to spring a surprise by picking a side that did not contain three of his most experienced outfield players. Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves, a winner in the competition with Bayern Munich, both took up places on the bench, while a calf injury ruled Ryan Giggs out of the tie.

At the start of the season, it might have been difficult to picture a midfield trio of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson going into such critical last 16 second leg tie. But, that is in itself a signal of just how strong United’s squad has become.

Most crucially, no player in Sir Alex’s front six had played the full 90 minutes against Fulham on Saturday. It’s a freshness that the United boss has sought in recent weeks. The Reds started brightly enough in the opening minutes, the fans vocal and United attacking with purpose. With Sir Alex opting again for a 4-5-1 formation, Ronaldo and Nani became increasingly important figures going forward, with Anderson pushed ahead of Fletcher and Carrick. The sense was the game was there to be taken.

Karim Benzema again looked dangerous when in space, and Juninho had a few early free-kicks to test United’s rearguard. But Reds, marshalled by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, looked solid. More and more the game was played out tactically; Lyon content not to concede, looking for a breakaway through Benzema; United probing for a way through but not going full pelt with a valuable away goal already in their armoury. It was less the clichéd chess match, more who blinked first.

Fortunately for United, it was Lyon. When the French side failed to clear Anderson’s shot, Ronaldo’s delicate touches eight yards out drew him clear of Francois Clerc, and his shot sneaked inside Gregory Coupet’s near post.

Referee Roberto Rosetti seemed somewhat pedantic at times, needlessly overexcited at the thought of showing a yellow card. Having already booked Patrice Evra early in the game, Nani was the second United player to enter the book on the stroke of half time when he fouled Sidney Govou. Juninho’s delivery from wide on the right was of near mechanical precision, but Vidic preserved United’s advantage with a typically brave header to clear the danger.

Lyon’s game-plan changed very little in the second half. Keeping it tight and hoping to snatch a goal on the counter remained their aim. United chose a similar tactic. After 65 minutes Nani had a shot that arrowed narrowly over, but other than that United were quiet in front of goal.

Knowing that Lyon would eventually have to come searching for a goal, United played without desperation in their play. The introduction of Carlos Tevez, scorer in the first leg, in place of Anderson may have seemed a bold attacking move. But Tevez was instructed to drop deep and keep possession, providing on the break.

United, in control, were not home and dry though. Substitute Kader Keita found space in the Reds’ penalty area and struck the post on 74 minutes. The Reds weren’t without chances to put the game out of reach. Rooney had a chance to score when Hatem Ben Arfa’s mystifying back-pass found him through on goal, but he couldn’t beat Coupet. Then Nani burst through down the right channel and elected to cross the ball when he should have shot.

With ten minutes remaining, Lyon boss Alain Perrin brought on Fred and went to a more attacking 4-4-2 formation, but in the end their own negativity worked against them. For United this may not have been a resounding victory, but against well-organised and tactically stubborn opponents, the Reds did the job that was required.

Team Line-ups

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo (Hargreaves 90), Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Tevez 70), Nani; Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Saha, Park, Scholes, O'Shea.
Booked: Evra, Nani

Olympique Lyonnais: Coupet; Clerc, Squillaci, Cris, Grosso; Govou (Keita 68), Juninho Toulalan, Kallstrom (Fred 79), Ben Arfa; Benzema.
Subs not used: Vercoutre, Bodmer, Delgado, Mounier, Boumsong.
Booked: Grosso, Squillaci