[/caption]As Champions League football returns in Europe, Real Madrid will face French side Lyon on Tuesday night at the Stade de Gerland in France.

Can Cristiano Ronaldo – who is deadly against French sides – help Real Madrid to break this embarrassing curse?

Cristiano Ronaldo Fan looks at some major points ahead of the intriguing Lyon vs Real Madrid Champions League clash. There is this interesting opposition between Real Madrid’s horrible record at the Stade de Gerland and Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable achievement against French teams recently.

Real Madrid in Lyon – the awful record

Real Madrid clashed against Lyon twice at the Stade de Gerland during the last decade in Europe and at both of these occasions, the Spanish giants tasted bitterness.

Four seasons ago, Los Blancos had to kick off the Champions League campaign away to Lyon as the two teams were drawn in the same group.

Real Madrid suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat in the hands of the French who eventually claimed the top spot ahead of the last sixteen draws.

Things didn’t change for the better either a year later. Real Madrid and Lyon were again put together in the Champions League group stages but the Spanish giants failed to take advantage of their trip to the Stade de Gerland for a ‘pay-back time’.

Instead, they lost again; 2-0 it was this time.

How can Florentino Perez’s new look Real Madrid squad overturn these negative past results? Will Cristiano Ronaldo prove to be a revelation?

Cristiano Ronaldo vs French teams – recent record

From Google Images

Since scoring against Lyon in 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo has become a true revelation against French teams. Well, at least Marseille have become victims against the Portuguese superstar…

In Manchester United’s road to Champions League success two years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a lone goal to help the Red Devils edge 2-1 on aggregate past Lyon in the knockout stages.

Ronaldo faced French opposition again, that was in the group stages of this current Champions League season.

At the Santiago Bernabeu like at the Stade Vélodrome, Cristiano Ronaldo clinched a brace to help Real Madrid top their table.
Now in the last sixteen of the UEFA Champions League, the former Manchester United ace will be up against Lyon once again.

With the help of Kaka and Real Madrid’s other players, will Cristiano Ronaldo score against Lyon and subsequently help the Spanish giants to break another curse – the fate of suffering defeats at the Stade de Gerland?

Angela Asante, Footballfantalk.com