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Lyon Coach Gérard Houllier contends that his players had to perform as well as they can to see off Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 yesterday.
Fred and Johnn Carew netted the all-important goals to keep the champions 11 points clear at the summit, but Houllier says they were pushed all the way by the visitors.
"Lyon came across a good team and we had to treat it like a Champions' League match to win," he explained. "We had to be disciplined tactically and strong mentally.
"We were solid and well-organised. You could see the motivation and the solidarity of the players in the way they reacted after losing the ball.
"It took a great Lyon side to beat a very good PSG team today. We're 16 points ahead of them now, but above all we have to stay concentrated."
His opposite number Laurent Fournier admitted to a gulf in quality between the two teams, but lamented the fact his players found themselves a goal down after just five minutes.
"After the bad start we had, it was very hard for us to come back," he stated. "We were a little better in the second half but not enough.
"We dominated possession and created some good openings but we didn't really have any real chances apart from two in the first half.
"The PSG team showed their limits against an opponent whose players have been playing well together for a long time. There's a real gap between us.
"Lyon have been in the Champions' League for quite a while and you have to remember that PSG were fighting to avoid relegation last season."
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