A few days before their duel in the first knockout round of the Champions League, Wednesday at Parc OL, Juventus Turin and Olympique Lyonnais recorded crucial successes in their respective championships.

Juventus thus kept the head of Serie A by going to beat Spal (1-2) without shining, Saturday in Ferrara, during the 25th day of Serie A. An expected success against the red lantern, which allows the Bianconeri to keep a small point ahead of Lazio Rome.

In the 1000th game of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his eleventh goal in 11 consecutive league games. Facing OL, the five-fold stainless Ballon d'Or will obviously be the number one danger for the Rhone defense. Determined to offer a European title to Juve, deprived of a continental trophy since 1996 and eliminated last season in quarters by Ajax, the world football star wants to enter the history of his club. In addition to his Portuguese striker, Turin coach Maurizio Sarri will also be able to count on the rediscovered efficiency of his Argentinian prodigy Paulo Dybala, back in the foreground after a lackluster season.

Two offensive assets in great shape, unlike a Juve who has struggled outside since the end of January in Serie A. Before raising the bar against Spal, the Turinese stayed indeed in two defeats far from their bases, in Naples (1 -2, on January 26) and then at a promoted home, Hellas Verona (1-2, February 8).

An extremely rare insecurity for the eight-time defending champion club, which changed coach during the off-season, which the Lyonnais hope to take advantage of.

OL ends negative spiral

For their part, the latter reassured themselves a little at the best time by going to win in Metz (2-0) Friday, while OL remained on a series of four games without a win in Ligue 1 (2 draws and 2 losses).

A goal by Moussa Dembélé from the penalty spot just before half-time and another by Houssem Aouar at the very end of the match allowed OL to win on the lawn of the 15th in the championship and thus be able to prepare more calmly for its shock European.

Rudi Garcia's men, who rose to seventh place with 37 points, seven lengths from the podium, know however that they will have to outdo themselves and be much more biting against the Old Lady, unbeaten in C1 this season, to hope to get a good result at home.

Because the Lyon players have shown many limits this season at home, where they have won only four times in twelve games of L1.

Overcome by a bad start to the season and a wave of injuries that affected several of its offensive assets (Memphis Depay and Jeff Reine-Adélaïde), the club of Jean-Michel Aulas wants at all costs to avoid being deprived of any European competition for the first time since 1997.

OL bet a lot on Houssem Aouar

Under pressure by the chain of poor performances and with a workforce less brilliant than that of the golden era of the 2000s, OL still remains committed on four tables. In addition to the League and C1, Lyon will face Paris SG twice in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France (March 4) and in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue (April 4).

Before thinking about its national deadlines, OL will try to create a surprise in this European duel which appears unbalanced, as in last season, when Lyon had been eliminated in 8th by Barça (0-0, 5-1 ).

"We will be at home, the stadium will be full and we will have the support of our public, Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes told AFP. Why not create the feat and play game after game until the end of the season ?"

To maintain their chances until the return match, the Lyonnais will rely primarily on Houssem Aouar, their nugget trained at the club. More decisive than ever, the young midfielder, author of 9 goals in all competitions, is the metronome of his team and the trusted man of Rudi Garcia.

Finally, the goalscorer of Gones Moussa Dembélé will also have a leading role to play, while he has still not found the way to the nets in C1 this season. Regular in Ligue 1 (14 goals in 25 games), the one said to be coveted by top league champions would be well advised to strike a blow Wednesday evening.

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