Group E
Kick-off: 19:45 (BST)
Lyon coach Alain Perrin is calling for a committed performance against Rangers as the French title-holders look to bounce back from their heaviest Champions League defeat in history at Barcelona.
The 3-0 defeat at Camp Nou alerted Perrin to the fact that his side must improve, and fast.
“When you have only six games it’s very important to secure points early,” the former Olympique de Marseille trainer said.
“We wanted to get a point in Barcelona but failed, so we must now beat Rangers to boost confidence and improve our position.”
“This match will be very similar to France-Scotland,” Perrin predicted, adding: “Only the result will be different.
“I was at the Parc des Princes and was already wondering how we might break Rangers down.
“They’ll be well-organised and committed just like Scotland and we’ll need to match their determination. But if we do that and play at a high tempo, using our speed on the flanks, we have a good chance.”
In-form striker Karim Benzema will lead the attack with Kader Keita and Sidney Govou be asked to provide width up front.
A draw would be a goood result for Rangers given the Scottish side’s victory against Stuttgart a fortnight ago. Manager Walter Smith hopes to take advantage of any uncertainty in the French camp.
“Lyon made one or two changes in the summer, including the arrival of a new coach,” said Smith. “It takes time for new players to settle, but we’re still expecting a difficult match.
“All European away games represent big tests for us in terms of defending well and launching attacks from defensive positions. We’ll just try to get as good a result as possible.”
Smith must choose between Daniel Cousin and Kris Boyd for the striker’s role after Jean-Claude Darcheville picked a hamstring injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Motherwell. Darcheville has travelled to France but is rated as “really doubtful” to play against Lyon.
