Lyon left-back Marcal believes that his team have a “great chance” of winning the Champions League despite having to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the quarter-finals, citing the fact that the match will be played on neutral ground as a potential advantage.
The remainder of Europe's premier club competition is being played out in Portugal, with all matches being played over one leg rather than the conventional two, as UEFA look to wrap up the tournament in the safest manner possible.
It is no secret that City have one of the most expensive squads ever assembled, with Guardiola having several options for each position on the pitch and boasting some of world the game's finest footballers throughout the ranks.
Upsets can happen, however, as Diego Simeone's much-fancied Atletico Madrid side found out on Thursday as they were knocked out by Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig – all without the services of former star striker Timo Werner.
With that in mind, Marcal has stated that the belief within the Lyon squad is high and that he and his team-mates already have one eye on the ultimate prize.
“In the locker room, everyone is thinking about going all the way to the final,” the defender said in an interview with Le Progres.
“And if we go there, we will have a great chance of winning. We play on neutral ground and without an audience. In that context, it might not be the favourites who win. This might be our chance.”
Marcal is under no illusions that City have the stronger squad, but after knocking out a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Juventus side and taking Paris Saint-Germain all the way to penalties in the final of Coupe de la Ligue, Les Gones are brimming with confidence.
“They buy the best players and their coach is one of the top three in the world,” the 31-year-old added. “So in this sense we are not on a level playing field. However, with what we did against Paris and Juventus, we know that we have a chance.”
Marcal's Lyon side take on Man City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Saturday evening.