Three European nights, no defeats — so why is nobody dancing?

Zero. That is the number of defeats French clubs suffered in Europe this week, and it is also, give or take, the number of headlines the week generated for anyone outside Lyon and Nantes. Three matches, two wins and a draw: a return that would have any federation president purring into his coffee, and yet one that arrived with the quiet efficiency of a civil servant filing paperwork.

Lyon's 4-2 win at Viktoria Plzeň was the pick of the bunch, and not before time. Last week this paper wondered aloud whether a squad running on fumes could survive a Czech test; the answer, delivered with some style, was yes. David Mândrescu's performance — rated 9.6 on the night — did much of the damage, and the old boy Ionuţ Ion, who spent five seasons at Nantes before heading south, will have enjoyed the trip. Lyon's seven straight Ligue 1 crowns ended in 2061, and the Trophée des Champions run followed it out of the door last season; European nights like this are how a club reminds itself it still has teeth.

Nantes, meanwhile, beat Manchester United 3-1, which is the sort of scoreline that reads like a typo until you check it twice. Mohamed Najah, who made 27 appearances for Lyon across seven seasons and won nothing there, was on the winning side against the English — a small, private satisfaction he is unlikely to mention. Les Canaris sit top of Ligue 1 after twelve games and now have a European evening to match; Bordeaux away on Saturday will test whether the legs are still there.

And then Sochaux. A 0-0 at home to Bayern München is not nothing — it is a clean sheet against the sort of opponent that usually helps itself — but it is also a night that will be remembered chiefly by the goalkeepers. French readers will take the point. They may not frame it.

Three games, no defeats. The flag was flown. Whether it was waved with any conviction is another matter.