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France's Champions League hopes suddenly brighten after Lyon join PSG | Paul Doyle

08-Aug-2020 12:04:17 | The Guardian

Only one French club has been European champions but after Lyon beat Juventus no country has more teams in the last eight

If Euro 2020 had not been postponed, then as world champions France would have fancied their chances of embellishing the country’s roll of honour this summer. But when it transpired that the only competitions to take place would be the eight-team Champions League and Europa League mini-tournaments that kick-off next week, hopes of French glory faded.

Only once has a French club lifted one of Europe’s top two competitions and that victory was tainted, as Marseille’s 1993 Champions League triumph came in the year in which they were stripped of their domestic title for match-fixing. This year, by contrast, events in France were thought to have weakened French clubs’ chances on the continent, but suddenly their outlook has brightened after Lyon’s surprising elimination of Juventus on Friday.

Related: Lyon condemn Juventus to another exit despite Cristiano Ronaldo double

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