Garde looks to string wins together

Lyon coach Remi Garde wants his side to build on their 4-1 thrashing of Marseille with a strong performance against Montpellier.

A Bafetimbi Gomis hat-trick helped Lyon to the crushing win on Wednesday as they moved two points clear atop Ligue 1.

But Garde has called on his team to show they are capable of stringing together several wins, something they have struggled to do since the start of the season.

“We played with great intensity yesterday, but now we have to maintain that level. We cannot dwell on the result as that is now in the past,” Garde said on Thursday.

“As Marseille followed soon after our heavy defeat to Toulouse, it gave us the opportunity to react, and now we have the opportunity to build up a winning momentum.

“To show that the result against Marseille was not just a one-off, we have to win on Saturday.”

Reigning champions Montpellier have been unable to recapture the form which saw them surprisingly claim the title last season.

Juggling Champions League and Ligue 1 commitments, 12th-placed Montpellier made a slow start to the campaign before beginning their recovery in recent outings.

Garde is wary of the threat Rene Girard’s side, who are unbeaten in five league matches, will pose at Stade de Gerland.

“They are the champions in France. They have a lot of good players and won their two last matches – against Bordeaux and Nice in the Coupe de la Ligue yesterday,” he said.

“They are a tough opponent who are getting better and better. Matches with Montpellier are always physical contests and hard to win.

“They had a difficult start where they were also involved with UEFA Champions League commitments.

“Their fixture schedule has been a little bit difficult, but they now have time to concentrate on the league.”