Gift of Gabi

Schurrer own goal gives Lyon edge over Sociedad

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AP) -- Argentine defender Gabi Schurrer scored an own-goal in the 18th minute Wednesday as Lyon beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League second round.

Lyon took a stride toward the quarterfinals with an impressive display which ended Sociedad's 26-game unbeaten home record in European competition, which stretched back to 1975.

The French team obtained the all-important away goal to carry into the return leg on March 9 when Schurrer turned Florent Malouda's low cross into his net before goalkeeper Sander Westerveld could reach the ball.

Sociedad's Spanish international midfielder Xabi Alonso said the defeat gave his team no alternative but to attack in the second game.

"We will have to go to win. There's no other option. We have one more match," Alonso said.

Sociedad struggled to keep Lyon's lively forwards at bay, with French international Sidney Govou and Guinean winger Florent Malouda creating a host of problems.

Two minutes after his team fell behind, Sociedad striker Nihat Kahveci came close to leveling against the run of play with a fierce shot which saw goalkeeper Gregory Coupet pull off an acrobatic save.

However, Lyon dominated until the interval and came close to increasing its lead in the 34th minute when Ghanaian midfielder Mickael Essien's sidefooted shot from the edge of the area was pushed away by Westerveld.

The French side's superiority continued well into the second half.

Westerveld twice came to Sociedad's rescue early in the second half when he tipped away a curling free kick by Juninho Pernambucano and then parried a drive by striker Peguy Luyindula.

Juninho made a surging run and sent his shot just over the bar in the 61st minute as Paul Le Guen's team threatened to stretch its lead.

Sociedad briefly gained control as it strove for an equalizer, with Russian international midfielder Valery Karpin creating danger with hoisted crosses from the left toward striker Darko Kovacevic.

In an exciting final stage, both teams came close to scoring.

Substitute Vikash Dhorasoo was prevented from increasing Lyon's lead in the 82nd minute when his fierce shot was saved by Westerveld's legs, and seconds later Karpin rattled the crossbar with a free kick.

Malouda struck the woodwork in injury time as Lyon maintained its threat up to the final whistle.

Summary

Real Sociedad 0 Olympique Lyon 1 - result

Champions League first knockout round, first leg

Scorer:

Gabriel Schurrer 18og

Halftime: 0-1; Attendance: 28,000

Teams:

Real Sociedad: 25-Sander Westerveld; 14-Aitor Lopez Rekarte, 2-Bjorn Tore Kvarme, 6-Gabriel Schurrer, 3-Agustin Aranzabal; 4-Xabi Alonso (11-Mikel Aranburu 74), 18-Bittor Alkiza, 8-Valery Karpin, 17-Igor Gabilondo (19-Lee Chun-soo 64); 15-Nihat Kahveci (21-Oscar de Paula 80), 9-Darko Kovacevic

Olympique Lyon: 1-Gregory Coupet; 2-Eric Deflandre, 20-Patrick Mueller, 3-Edmilson, 22-Romain Sartre (23-Jeremie Berthod 66); 7-Mahamadou Diarra, 4-Mickael Essien, 8-Juninho Pernambucano, 11-Florent Malouda; 14-Sidney Govou (24-Vikash Dhorasoo 80), 18-Peguy Luyindula

Referee: Massimo De Santis (Italy)

Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.