LYON, France - Olympique Lyon midfielder Juninho, whose free kicks are beginning to instil almost as much fear in his opponents as David Beckham's, is dreaming of reliving his South American Cup success in Europe.

The Brazilian international, who won the Copa Libertadores in 1998 with Vasco De Gama, believes the Ligue 1 leaders' can at least improve on last season's quarter-final appearance -- and even go on to win the Champions League.

"It is a dream. I want to be able to say one day that I have won this competition," the player, who rejoices in the full name of Antonio Augusto Ribeiro Juninho Pernambucano, told Reuters in an interview.

"We still have nine rounds of matches in the Ligue 1. But I hope we'll win five more games, which means we would have won the Champions League."

However, Juninho, who has already scored five goals in the competition, believes his team have what it takes to become the first French winners since Olympiue Marseille in 1993.

"This side is the most balanced I have ever known," he says.

In a way, Lyon look a little bit like last season's European champions Porto. They don't employ an orthodox striker as such, but play as a block with a very strong midfield.

Moreover, they have scored 27 goals in their eight Champions League matches -- more than any of the eight remaining teams.

Last year, Lyon were eliminated by Porto in the quarter-finals, but are now a better side, eight points clear of Marseille at the top of the French League and with a fourth successive title in their sights. They also want to advance in Europe.

"If we don't go further this year, it will be a disappointment," said Juninho whose team mates know they can count on him when Lyon have an attacking free-kick around the penalty area.

Indoor Practice

"There is one thing you want to avoid with him: a free-kick contest during the training sessions," says former Lyon striker and compatriot Sonny Anderson.

"He is just outstanding," says Lyon goalie Gregory Coupet, who now refuses to be in goal in training when Juninho is practising.

Toulouse goalkeeper Christophe Revault, twice a Juninho victim during a 2-0 league defeat last month, recalls: "He takes them like penalty kicks. He uses the wall to aim his shot."

Juninho says his numerous years of indoor soccer practice were probably the key to his success.

"The restricted dimensions of a gymnasium force you to watch your technique and the preciseness of your shots as if they were passes," he says

Surpinsingly, Juninho is not the only one to take the free kicks in the Brazilian team: "It is the one who is closest to the ball who takes it."

Juninho says he shot his masterpiece in last season's Champions League in Munich in November 2003.

"Everything was there. The atmosphere, the Olympic stadium, Oliver Kahn, the best goalkeeper in the world," he says.

"I had scored one like that against River Plate in the Copa Libertadores semi-final. It sent us to the final."

In Lyon, no one doubts that Juninho will repeat the same feat again.