Life at the top suits Juninho

By Matthew Spiro

Olympique Lyonnais midfield player Juninho Pernambucano is looking forward to taking on Manchester United FC tonight knowing his team have already sealed qualification for the UEFA Champions League knockout phase.

Close thing
Last year it took a Juninho penalty five minutes into added time of their final match against Celtic FC to seal qualification for the last 16, while the previous season Lyon allowed AFC Ajax to sneak ahead of them into second place on Matchday 6 after being held to a 1-1 draw at Rosenborg BK.

Quick qualification
This year has been a different story. A 2-2 draw against United, a 2-1 win at AC Sparta Praha and back-to-back wins against Fenerbahçe SK have put Lyon into the last 16 with two games to go. "It makes a nice change," Juninho told uefa.com. "I don't think the players or the fans could cope if it went to the wire again!"

'The better team'
The Brazil international added: "We've been more efficient this season. We've defended better as a team and we've taken our chances. We deserve to be through because we were the better team in the games we won and even in the 2-2 draw with United we played well and maybe deserved more than a point." 

Top spots
Friday's goalless draw at Paris Saint-Germain FC extended Lyon's unbeaten start in Ligue 1 and the Champions League to 19 matches, and ensured that they remain on top of Ligue 1 as well as Champions League Group D, but Juninho is refusing to get carried away. "In football things change very quickly," he explained.

Disciplined thinking
"Our form is very satisfying but the French press are going overboard, suggesting that we're invincible," he added. "We're not a supersonic team and there are sides that could beat us. We're a good team, with a fair few qualities and we've managed to find some consistency.

United motivated
"We know the unbeaten record could go in Manchester. A United victory is the expected result, but even if we lost it wouldn't have any impact on our season. We've earned the right to relax for two games and while we'll do our best, I'm not going to worry about what might happen if we lose."

English debut
Juninho appears more concerned about savouring the experience of his first club match in England. "I've played in England before with Brazil and I know what the fans are like," said the 29-year-old. "They're so passionate I can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like at Old Trafford when Manchester United play. I have a lot of respect for them and especially their manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] who has been there for so long."

'Lovely moment'
Ferguson, meanwhile, is likely to have one unhappy memory of Juninho. The Lyon playmaker was part of the CR Vasco da Gama side that defeated United 3-1 in the FIFA World Club Championship in 2000 and recalls the occasion with a broad smile. "We played really well that day and it was a lovely moment for our fans," he said.

Heat advantage
He expects United to be a tougher proposition tonight, however, saying: "I'm not going to judge United on that game. We played in the middle of the Brazilian summer at four o'clock in the afternoon. It was 35 degrees in the Maracana and the United players didn't look too happy to be there. They'll be more motivated on Tuesday."