Juninho falls foul of footballing karma

Captain Juninho Pernambucano believes hitting the woodwork twice in Olympique Lyonnais' UEFA Champions League win over ACF Fiorentina was destiny's punishment for a red card he received last weekend.

Fates conspire
Juninho rattled the bar from distance with a trademark free-kick in each half during a 2-1 victory on Tuesday which booked Lyon into the knockout stages. It was a far cry from a dismal Saturday evening, when the Brazilian was sent off during the Ligue 1 leaders' 1-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain FC at Parc des Princes. "I got a red card and perhaps tonight I was punished by destiny, because I hit the bar twice," he said. "It was a punishment. Perhaps if I hadn't got the red card those two shots tonight would have gone in. That's the way I look at things."

Footballing karma
Whether or not the law of footballing karma was at work, Juninho celebrated a team performance in sharp contrast with their Matchday 1 meeting with Fiorentina, when they needed late strikes to salvage a 2-2 draw. Two goals to the good inside the first half-hour at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, courtesy of Jean II Makoun and Karim Benzema, Lyon came through despite Alberto Gilardino's reply for the hosts before half-time. "We talked about it before the match – how we'd been dominated by Fiorentina in the first half at home and how we had to make a different start here. And we did," the 33-year-old said. "After that, I think the team showed how solid they are in Europe, and showed a degree of experience they hadn't demonstrated before. Even when Fiorentina applied the pressure with two strikers up front, we stayed calm."

Hard work
Calm and consistency have become watchwords for a club that has won the last seven French league titles and a sixth consecutive slot in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. "The secret, first of all, is in the management signing good players every season and holding on to others who are experienced but who want to improve," said Juninho, adding: "I think what's different about Lyon compared to other teams is that even if we win a lot of games, you never see Lyon players getting carried away or showing a lack of respect to their opponents. They believe in working hard. I certainly do."

Group honours
In Europe, the Group F leaders will be back at work on 10 December, when they contest top slot against fellow qualifiers FC Bayern München, with the two teams level on eleven points. Juninho was already looking further ahead, though, saying: "Obviously, we're very happy, but it's just a qualification for the last 16. We can't stop there. There's a lot to be done yet."