Lyon boss Remi Garde is trying to remain positive in the Ligue 1 title race

Lyon manager Remi Garde is trying to remain positive despite seeing his team slip further back in the Ligue 1 title race with a 2-1 defeat to Sochaux on Sunday night.

Cedric Bakambu netted an 89th-minute winner for the visitors to leave Garde's men eight points behind leaders Paris St Germain.

But Garde is refusing to press the panic button with eight games remaining in the campaign.

He told L'Equipe: "I do not want to overwhelm anyone. We will not be discouraged."

Bafetimbi Gomis' 69th-minute penalty had cancelled out Giovanno Sio's opener but an unmarked Bakambu left the home side with no time for a second comeback after Sio's clever build-up play.

Lyon have now gone four games without a win but captain Maxim Gonalons

felt his team deserved to break their slump on Sunday night.

"Even if we are killed by the result, we found things in our game," he said. "We tried to give the maximum.

"We need to ask the right questions. When it turns worse, we need to find solutions. We had good intentions, but we failed to succeed."

Sochaux boss Eric Hely was delighted to see his side claim their first win in six matches and move two points clear of the relegation zone.

Les Lionceaux were under pressure in the first half but Hely was happy with the way his players dealt with the early onslaught.

He told www.ligue1.com: "We struggled in the beginning as we committed too many errors under the pressure of OL's pressing game.

"Slowly but surely, we got into the match and created a couple of promising situations. In the second half, we kept defending well and managed to snatch the win.

"I asked the lads to put the hearts into the game because when you do that and play as a team, you can make your own luck. We need to stay focused and work hard for what's to come."