The Stade Louis II coach was downbeat to say the
least after Lyon consigned them to a fifth successive winless match and
he knows European victory in midweek is essential
Leonardo Jardim has admitted that the mood within Monaco's squad at the moment is a miserable one after a woeful start to 2014-15.Les Rouges et Blancs finished runners up in Ligue 1 last season and had been expected to be Paris Saint-Germain's main contenders once again this campaign, but confidence and quality appears to have plummeted over the summer.
Departures of star striker Radamel Falcao, captain Eric Abidal and World Cup wonderkid James Rodriguez made many pundits question if the principality club had lost heart in their pursuit of silverware and five games without a win in Ligue 1 this season seem to back that theory up.
Jardim, who replaced the harshly sacked head coach Claudio Ranieri this summer, is hoping Monaco can seek respite from domestic woes in their midweek clash with Bayer Leverkusen at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday.
"The squad is feeling down because we were aiming to win," he told reporters after Monaco were beaten 2-1 by Olympique Lyonnais on Friday.
"The Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen will be very intense. We'll need to take our chances.
"It was a close game against Lyon and the result was harsh on us. If we'd been more clinical in front of goal, the outcome would have been different.
"We created the better chances, six or seven and away from home too, but unfortunately we only managed to score from one of them. Our opponents were much more clinical and converted two of their chances."
Nabil Fekir put hosts Lyon ahead at the Stade de Gerland before Lucas Ocampos' leveller shortly before half-time. Corentin Tolisso ensured the visitors left empty-handed, though, with a 73rd-minute strike.
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