Juninho lifts Lyon into last eight
 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE |
• Aggregate scores in brackets
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LYON, France -- Brazilian Juninho struck after 77 minutes with a beautifully-crafted goal to steer French champions Lyon through to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Breaking from midfield, Juninho exchanged passes with striker Peguy Luyindula, who reversed the ball back into his path, before shooting in off a post to give Lyon a 2-0 aggregate advantage.
They led 1-0 from the first leg in San Sebastian two weeks earlier and now take their place in Friday's last eight draw in Nyon.
"It was our goal to reach the last eight butthat does not mean it was all we wanted to achieve," said Lyon coach Paul Le Guen.
"We have done that so we can now dream of reaching further and winning the Champions League. I am not saying we will but we must enter every competition to try and win."
Real Sociedad, needing to score and win to go through, relied too heavily on spoiling tactics, deep defence and long balls aimed at their big striker Darko Kovacevic or winger Valeri Karpin.
Sharp movements
Lyon, however, remained faithful to the clever football, full of accurate passing and sharp movements, that has served them well this season and fully deserve their place in the last eight.
Juninho had scored twice against Celtic to clinch Lyon's qualification for the first knockout round and also scored a vital goal at Bayern Munich.
Lyon dominated first half possession, but without creating any clear chances as the Basque side retreated to the edge of their own penalty area and defended stoutly.
Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet was injured following a third minute collision with Igor Gabilondo and, after struggling on bravely until the 17th minute, was replaced by substitute Remy Vercoutre.
Coupet appeared to have a wrist or arm injury and he had lengthy treatment, but could not continue.
Real Sociedad produced a few direct moves that unsettled the Lyon defense, but the home team were mostly in control if frustrated by the series of fouls that broke their rhythm.
The pattern continued in the second period with Lyon showing all the enterprise and Real Sociedad often reduced to some crude challenges to stop them. Inevitably, the Spanish team collected yellow cards as they went along.
As the game progressed, they became more desperate and almost scored from a corner by Karpin in the 75th minute. Midfielder Xabi Alonso met the ball well with a firm header, but Eric Deflandre cleared off the line.
Two minutes later, Lyon swept ahead on the night and two goals clear when Juninho, in deep midfield, accelerated into the Real Sociedad half, broke at the defence and played a one-two off striker Peguy Luyindula.
The return pass was angled back into his path and he scored with a diagonal left foot shot that flew in off Alberto's left post. The goal sparked celebrations for the French crowd and left the Basques hurling everything forward to no avail in the closing minutes.
"We had a lot of problems, we had spells of pressure and we won the ball, but we could not make chances and score goals," said Sociedad's French coach Raynald Denoueix.
"I am sad that we did not get through but Lyon played very well and they are a top team. They deserved to qualify."
