Champions-elect

Reigning French champions Lyon are closing in on their fifth straight title. They’re now 12 points clear of second place Bordeaux with six games to play although their attention this week will be all on the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final with AC Milan.

Two more wins and a draw and the likes of Wiltord, Govou, Coupet, Abidal, Pedretti, Reveillere, players who are hoping for a call up to the World Cup squad will probably be able to be rested by Gerard Houllier, which I’m sure he ‘d like to do being an ex-national team manager.

Lyon have had a good season losing only two of their 32 matches so far and have easily the best goal difference in the league, not bad for Houllier in his first season. One good thing for France is the Lyon players should be going to Germany with a lot of confidence in their own play, Domenech just needs 16 or 17 others who have the same feeling.