Bordeaux Hope For Auxerre Miracle

The rhetoric coming from the Lyon side as they prepare for Saturday's match in Auxerre, from which they only need to draw to ensure a seventh league title, is predictable to the point of becoming cliqued.

In an interview with Football365, les Gones' central defender Jean-Alain Boumsong spoke unsurprisingly of Lyon's need to take a positive attitude into their final league fixture.

"Auxerre will play freely and if they win that could have an outcome on the league table and will therefore influence the match," he warned.

"It will really be necessary to have in our heads the need for 3 points. By aiming for only one, we would move back and one would lose our style. That would be dangerous."

View From Bordeaux

In truth Auxerre have little to play for aside from a minor league position, a fact that Bordeaux's President Jean-Louis Triaud is well aware of. He spoke pessimistically of his side's chance of claiming a first championship for 9 years.

"Lyon have a team of experienced, big game players who can win important matches," he said.

"I did not imagine Nancy would win on Saturday evening in Lyon and I cannot see Auxerre, who do not have anything more to play for, posing large problems to OL next Saturday.

"It is good there remains a chance, of course, but it is difficult to quantify. If a figure had to be given, I would say one chance in ten. But it is necessary that we beat Lens. Afterwards, anything is possible.”"

Bordeaux's hopes have been dealt a further blow with the news that Argentine right-winger Alejandro Alonso will not have recovered from injury in time to feature at the weekend; Gabriel Obertan is again expected to fill in.  

Robin Bairner