This Saturday (21h), the OL will attempt to qualify for the last four of the Champions League. Although they may not be favourites against Manchester City, Rudi Garcia’s men believe they can thwart the Mancunians’ plans, as do midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

For some, seeing Olympique Lyonnais reach the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City would be a major achievement. However, Rudi Garcia’s players feel they are ready to triumph over city. “I know it’s going to be a very tough, very difficult match against a very strong team who have the ball almost all the time. Every time we have the ball, we will have to play and if we play well, we can win the game,” explained Bruno Guimarães.

All the more so as this match is just a big step in the conquest of the Holy Grail and the European place so sought-after by the OL. “This is the most important match of the season, because we know we have to win it to continue playing in the Champions League. My dream is to play in the Champions League next season too, but to do that we have to win the current Champions League,” the midfielder told UEFA in an interview.

“We’re a united team.
The players from Rhône-Alpes know that their opponent is a tough beast to tame. Between oppressive pressure and nearly 70 per cent ball possession, the OL is well aware that they will have their work cut out for them. However, according to Bruno Guimaraes, Olympique Lyon have some cards to play and they must not change their style of play. “I think we’ll play normally. We’re a united team, we’re a very strong team too, so I think we can play with or without the ball. We’ll see how the game goes,” he concluded.