Real Madrid thrash Lyon in Champions League

Posted on October 19, 2011 by SoccerPunter

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho demonstrated his squad’s strength in depth in a routine 4-0 Champions League victory over old foes Lyon on Tuesday, with goals from Karim Benzema, Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Sergio Ramos.

The result leaves the record nine-times European Champions in complete control of Group D with a 100 percent record from three games.

Lyon share second place with Ajax, both on four points, after the Dutch team won 2-0 away to Dynamo Zagreb.

Mourinho chose to start Benzema against his home town and former club instead of the in-form Gonzalo Higuain who grabbed a hat-trick against Real Betis on Saturday.

Also recalled to the starting XI were Khedira who scored his first goal for Madrid and Angel di Maria in place of the rested Kaka.

For Lyon the Brazilian Michel Bastos started his 100th game for the French side but did little to further his growing reputation.

Madrid started the game dominating possession and it took Cristiano Ronaldo only seven minutes to test French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from long range.

Lyon hit back when two minutes later a Bafetimbi Gomis header flashed past Casilla’s goal.

However it was no surprise when Benzema broke the deadlock on 19 minutes from close range after a near post flick-on by Ronaldo, from a well rehearsed Ozil corner.

Two minutes later it was Ronaldo again exchanging passes with Marcelo that allowed the Brazilian to drag a shot just wide of goal.

Lyon to their credit refused to buckle under Madrid pressure and were dangerous on the counter-attack throughout the first half.

First Jimmy Briand shot wide left from a tight angle and then Gomis was marginally offside when he did find the back of the net after a long cross field pass from Bastos.

Lloris continued to shine in the Lyon goal tipping away an Ozil free-kick and commanding well his area.

But it all went wrong for the goalkeeper in the second period.

He could do little when two minutes after the restart Benzema became the provider, latching on to a misplaced header by Lyon defender Bakari Kone, to ease the ball into the path of Khedira who finished with minimum fuss.

Then it was an uncharacteristic error from Lloris on 55 minutes that allowed a harmless cross from Ozil to squirm over his body and into his net to give Madrid a three goal advantage.

With the game all but won Mourinho took the chance to introduce Kaka, Higuain and Fabio Coentrao from the bench and there was just time for Ramos to powerfully hit home from a corner for his first goal of the season on 81 minutes.