Starting Lineups for Toulouse vs. Lyon

By: Dave Trotter | February 7th, 2010

tfc ol Well, since today is Super Bowl Day (and on the last Ligue 1 Talk Podcast I predicted a Colts victory 35-17, but I am going for the Saints), I will not be able to join any live discussions for this match. Therefore, I wanted to bring the late breaking news before the start of today’s match.

First of all, Colin Kazim-Richards has been praised by Alain Casanova, according to the official Ligue 1 site. As we have mentioned in the past week, his play has been quite good (which I didn’t expect). “I think Kazim was one of the few satisfactions in the first half against Marseille in midweek,” said Casanova.

He continued “I hesitated a long time before starting him against OM, he’s still a long way from being 100 per cent physically. But he was able to cause them problems, to take on his opposite number one-on-one and he showed what he’s capable of doing.”

Still, even with the praise, Casanova will not be going with Kazim Kazim in the starting lineup. This week’s lineup looks quite interesting. While the defensive line looks the same (Ebondo, Congre, Cette and M’Bengue), the midfield looks quite different.

For some reason, Casanova is going with Mathieu Berson instead of Etienne Capoue. Pantxi Sirieix will be starting as well, along with Luan. This leaves both Etienne Didot and Paulo Machado on the bench. Moussa Sissoko and Daniel Braaten will make up the rest of the midfield. And, of course, Andre-Pierre Gignac starts up front.

Also here are some last minute quotes from Casanova before today’s match against Lyon.

“Looking at Lyon from afar, it appears they were able to take a good hard look at themselves over the winter break, they seem to have found what wasn’t working, put their finger on it and set about trying to rectify it at the start of 2010

“I think what they’ve achieved so far in 2010 is pretty good and they’re a competitive side again capable of fighting for a Champions League place. As for the title, I think that’s going to be very difficult. But I think they have every chance of qualifying either directly or indirectly for the Champions League.

“So for us, it’s going to be a very difficult match against a side composing top quality players. But when you are a side capable of causing Marseille as any problems as we did in the second half against in midweek, we should be capable of causing a few problems to Lyon too.”

Finally, for Lyon, Claude Puel is going with Lisandro Lopez, Caeser Delgado and Bafe Gomis up front. Puel is going with Lloris in goal, and Réveillère, Cris, Boumsong, Lovren on the defensive line. In the midfield, Maxime Gonalons gets the nod and will join a returning Jean Makoun and Kim Källström