Michael Beale believes Lyon could be the most talented squad that Rangers have faced in their 50 European games under Steven Gerrard.
The French giants will travel to Ibrox on Thursday night for a glamorous clash in the Europa League group stage.
It will bring up the half-century of European fixtures since Gerrard and coach Beale arrived at the club in 2018.
Rangers have reached the Europa League knockout stages in consecutive seasons and possess a fantastic record with 25 wins and just eight defeats in 49 games so far.
They face a tough task against a Lyon squad full of renowned stars and talented youngsters but Beale is relishing the test.
He said: “They are arguably the most talented squad we have faced in Europe so far and have a squad full of top young players like those mentioned above who have the potential to arrive in the Premier League in the future.
“I’m really looking forward to our players competing against Houssem Aouar, Lucas Pacqueta and Bruno Guimaraes with Lyon this season.
“One of their key midfielders is Thiago Mendes who I worked with at São Paulo FC. He is an extremely talented player who has done very well since coming to Europe and it will be good to see him again.
Beale highlighted French international midfielder Aouar as a special talent in the Lyon squad.
The 23-year-old possesses incredible technical ability and he’s already been linked with a £60 million move to English Premier League sides Tottenham and Arsenal.
Beale added: “Aouar is a player that I love to watch and I believe he is a fantastic talent.
“At 22, he has a huge future and for young players, he is a great example of close control, the ability to twist/turn away from pressure and to change the speed of the game when needed.”
