Garde worried about Grasshoppers

Lyon coach Remi Garde is wary of Swiss opponent Grasshoppers Zurich as the Ligue 1 club bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

The first leg of the third-round qualifying match will be played at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon on Wednesday.

With Grasshoppers having finished second in the 2012/13 Swiss Super League, Garde Lyon was unlucky to draw such strong opposition in the qualifying rounds.

“This is a very complicated tie for us and I have already said that it was not a favourable draw,” Garde said on Monday.

“I actually watched Zurich play in their previous match and this is a team that is not there by chance, they deserve to be at this level.

“Grasshoppers beat Basel last year in the final of the Swiss Cup and they competed with Basel in the league and they were the only team to compete at that level.

“We can overcome this difficult opponent but we have to work hard to do that.”

Victory for Lyon over the two legs could see them face the likes of Arsenal or Milan for a place in the group stages.