UKRAINE: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Press conferences by Lyon coach Gerard Houllier and Dynamo Kiev coach Anatoliy Damyanenko as their teams prepare ahead of their Group E Champions League match

Lyon and Dynamo Kiev prepare on Monday (October 16) for their Group E Champions League tie. Even before the season began, Lyon were being spoken of as a dark horse that could wrest the crown from Barcelona and the French champions look too good on paper for Dynamo Kiev. The group leaders travel to face the bottom-of-the-table side after overcoming a tough domestic challenge from their arch-rivals St Etienne to snatch a 2-1 home victory thanks to a last-minute strike by playmaker Juninho. Lyon have won nine successive matches in all competitions and could make that 10 in Ukraine. "A win is always the best way to prepare for a Champions League match," said coach Gerard Houllier. "But we must be wary of Kiev as they will have nothing to lose. They lost to Bucharest and Real Madrid and they will be out for a do-or-die game." Lyon will be without their French international goalkeeper Gregory Coupet who picked a hand injury last week. He will be replaced by Remy Vercoutre. Swiss central defender Patrick Mueller is also out following a shoulder injury sustained during last week's friendly international against Austria. Striker Fred, suspended for the derby against St Etienne on Saturday, is back in action.

ITN Source | October 17, 2006

Tags:. .international. .too. .source. .thanks. .monday