'It’s good to play against best players' - Lyon coach hails Juve after UCL draw

Olympique Lyonnais coach Rudi Garcia is happy to face Juventus in the Champions League Round of 16. “It’s always good to play against the best players.”

The French side will meet Juve for the first time since the group stage in 2016-17.

“It’s always good to play against the best players on the planet. Juventus have one of the best defences in Europe," the former Roma boss told Lyon's official Twitter account.

“We are happy to play against Cristiano Ronaldo."

The first leg will be in Lyon on February 26, then at the Allianz Juventus Stadium on March 17.

Juve defeated Lyon in France thanks to a Juan Cuadrado goal in October 2016, and the return match ended in a 1-1 draw.

"As for the injuries, we have to move on. We don’t have the time to lament them.”

Garcia was referring to winger Memphis Depay, midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide and right-back Leo Dubois all suffering serious knee injuries within the last several weeks.

Depay and Adelaide both ruptured their cruciate ligaments during the same match, and are out for the remainder of the season.