Källström caught up in Lyon euphoria

Kim Källström told uefa.com Olympique Lyonnais celebrated as though they had "won the UEFA Champions League itself" after beating Rangers FC 3-0 to book their place in the last 16.

Energy surge
The Swedish midfielder revealed there was a release of emotion in the dressing room after the final whistle as the players celebrated a qualification that looked unlikely at one stage after losing their opening two matches in Group E. "For us to go through after a really difficult start to the season and especially in the Champions League, it's a euphoric feeling," Källström told uefa.com. "A lot of emotions came out after the pressure we were under during the first part of the campaign. It's almost as though we have won the Champions League itself.

Nightmare start
"After losing the first two games 3-0 [to FC Barcelona and Rangers FC] we were without a point and had conceded six goals," he added. "Nobody really believed in our qualification except the players. We gave ourselves an opportunity to play a final here in Glasgow and it was a great night for us, something we will remember for the rest of our lives."

Great half
Sydney Govou's early goal helped to settle any nerves among the Lyon squad who travelled to Glasgow knowing that victory was essential to reach the knockout stages. "The early goal helped us but still I think we played really well, especially in the first half," said Källström. "Rangers came back at us after half-time and tried to get the equaliser but we defended well. We played with our hearts and gave everything to this qualification."

Benzema brilliant
Källström reserved special praise for 19-year-old striker Karim Benzema who made the points safe with two goals in the closing stages, saying: "Karim's a fantastic player. For a young man he plays with a lot of maturity. He's already a great player and soon I think he will be a world-class player. He's been tremendous for us so far this season and I hope he continues."

Draw prospects
With a place in the knockout stages now assured, Lyon can start thinking about who they might face in the last 16, but Källström is simply relieved to be in the hat for next Friday's draw. "We are just relieved to have qualified but we know that some strong teams await us in the last 16," said the 25-year-old. "We finished second, so we will play one of the top sides. Last year we finished first and lost out to Roma, so sometimes it doesn't matter. The important thing is that we are in the draw and if we continue to improve there's no reason why we can't make further progress."