Lyon coach Remi Garde has refused to give up on his side's chances of winning Ligue 1 this season.

The former French champions are currently five points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain in second place in the league table.

"As long as it's mathematically possible for us to claim top spot come the end of the season, we will continue to believe in our chances," Ligue1.com quotes him as saying. "For sure, with only two wins in our last seven matches, we're not showing enough, but internally, among the squad, I can feel that the players also believe that we can do it.

"A lot can still happen between now and the end of the season. It will be a tough run of matches, but my hopes are high for the end of the season. We need to keep the financial side of things at the club separate from the sporting side.

"I have a young squad in which there are mny youngsters who are just entering the highest level, but the pressure simply serves to intensify the competition in the squad. But we can't get ahead of ourselves. Our primary objective is give the maximum out on the pitch."

Lyon will take on Sochaux in Ligue 1 on Saturday.