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Gérard Houllier was full of praise for his team of exciting young talents following Lyon's 2-1 Champions' League victory over Rosenborg on Tuesday.
Rémy Vercoutre, Jérémy Clément, Hatem Ben Arfa and Romain Beynié were all given rare appearances, but the undoubted star of the show was 17-year-old Karim Benzema, scorer of his side's first goal and a constant menace.
"This match confirmed the talents of certain players like Hatem, Karim and Jérémy, who all had a very good game," said the former Liverpool boss. "Our team was very dynamic and they managed to keep our winning run going.
"I have to pay homage to these players because they produced a spectacular match. There was a lot of pace on show all over the pitch and in both halves.
"It would be a mistake to think they're the finished articles, though. They all have a lot more work to do, but their concentration and technical quality are already there."
Meanwhile, man-of-the-match Benzema was still beaming with joy at having found the back of the net for the first time, two weeks shy of his 18th birthday.
"Of course I'm delighted to have scored and I have to thank John [Carew] for his great pass," he said. "I went to the near post, cut the ball off and put it away.
"I could have scored more but I'm happy with how I played. I keep telling myself not to doubt in front of goal, but they had a very good 'keeper! Still, this first goal with the senior team is like an early birthday present."
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