Lyon ready to climb a Real-sized mountain: coach
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China Daily, October 18, 2011
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Olympique Lyon's coach Remi Garde reacts during a news conference ahead of their Champions League match against Real Madrid at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium Oct 17, 2011. [Photo/Agencies] |
Olympique Lyon have been a thorn in Real Madrid's side in recent years and their coach Remi Garde believes his young side are ready to inflict another upset on the nine-times winners in Tuesday's Champions League clash at the Bernabeu.
Lyon have won three and drawn four of their eight meetings with Real since 2005 and stunned the Bernabeu in their last-16 second leg in March 2010 when a 75th-minute goal sent the French side through 2-1 on aggregate.
Real avenged that reverse last season when they defeated Lyon 4-1 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in seven seasons and, although there is less at stake on Tuesday, Garde wants his players to come away from the Spanish capital with at least a point.
"I have a very young team and I still have not decided on a fixed formation," he told a news conference on Monday.
"We have a lot of determination and that's how you climb mountains," the former Arsenal player added.
"We will combine our strength with the advantage of being a young squad to get something positive out of the game."
Garde initially joined Lyon as a television analyst but after running the club's academy last season he took over from Claude Puel on a one-year contract with an option for a further 12 months.
As a player with Arsenal he won the English Premier League and the FA Cup in 1998 before a knee injury forced him into retirement a year later.
"Real Madrid is like a machine that functions well, with swift and elaborate moves and with a very good mix of the individual and the collective," the 45-year-old said.
"We all want to put up a good performance and show that we are a solid team.
"The goal is to come away with the odd point, in the knowledge that it's a tough task."
Real top Group D with six points from two matches, with Lyon on four. Ajax Amsterdam have one point and Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia have none.
