Real Madrid Vs. Lyon, 2011 UEFA Champions League: Bafetimbi Gomis Replaces Jimmy Briand

At the halftime break, Lyon has opted to make a substitution, bringing on Bafetimbi Gomis for Jimmy Briand. It’s a like for like swap, with both players being fairly large but also balanced strikers, but it should almost certainly be a positive change. Briand was highly ineffective in the first half. It might hurt Claude Puel to make a non-tactical change so early in the match, without being required to do so by injury, but it was clear that Briand had to go, and good for him for not waiting the customary 60 minutes. Lyon don’t have 15 minutes to waste.

Still, despite the positive change, it’s unlikely that it’s going to have a very dramatic effect on Lyon. Real Madrid are simply the better team, and Lyon are probably going to require a very bad mistake or a set piece to score. A set piece goal is what they got in the first game, but it’s hard to believe that a Jose Mourinho team will gift Lyon a goal in this situation with an awful mistake.