Lyon have a ´mountain´ to climb, says Garde

Lyon head coach Remi Garde believes his side have a mountain to climb in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final against Juventus.

The Ligue 1 outfit host the first leg of the tie on Thursday, having negotiated their way past Viktoria Plzen in the previous round.

And Garde is under no illusions as to the magnitude of the task that lies ahead, with Juventus sitting 11 points clear at the summit of Serie A.

“We have a mountain before us and should try to climb it by all means,” he said.

“My players are young, but they are ambitious and this kind of game will make them grow.”

Midfielder Steed Malbranque echoed those comments, and suggested that the fixture was worthy of an even greater stage.

“This is a game that looks like the Champions League against a big team, a formidable adversary,” he added. “We must not be satisfied to reach the quarter-finals.

“I know that the players who will be lined up tomorrow will do their utmost to achieve.”