Cris cautions against complacency

Cris has warned Olympique Lyonnais they will need to keep their heads at the Stade Chaban-Delmas if they are to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time.

Lyon take a 3-1 lead into the concluding leg of the all-Ligue 1 quarter-final against FC Girondins de Bordeaux, but their captain is taking nothing for granted. "This match will be different to the first leg and we will have to be strong in our heads," Cris said. "This is the ticket to the semi-finals. We will forget our two-goal advantage and we will kick off as if it is 0-0. There are 90 minutes left and this is another game."

While Lyon have won their last three matches and lost only one of 13 games in all competitions, their opponents have suffered three successive defeats, although Cris expects that to have little bearing. "Bordeaux are going to come out strongly and we have to be ready for that," continued the 32-year-old centre-back. "We will concentrate; I expect a fast start to the match. Bordeaux are going to look for an early goal. We will try to take advantage of that and get forward very quickly."

Identifying the nature of Bordeaux's principle threat should present few problems with nine of their 13 goals in the competition this season coming from set pieces – although stopping them is something different. "We will look at our defensive set-up," Cris added. "We're worried about Bordeaux at set pieces but we have to try to deal with them where they're strong. If we continue to do that, and play as a unit, we can start to think about the semi-finals. We know Bordeaux have the quality to score goals, even after three straight defeats. Even if they do, we're going to keep concentrating and give nothing away."

Lyon are in the driving seat ahead of the start of play, but Cris concluded by reminding his team-mates of what is at stake. "Both teams want to qualify and both have pressure to deal with," the Brazilian said. "The match is still open, the players know that, and the tie will be decided on small details. This is my biggest challenge."