Montpellier defender Vitorino Hilton has targeted a late push in Ligue 1 so that the club can again qualify for the Champions League.
The current title holders struggled during the first half of the season and are currently sixth, 13 points off Paris Saint-Germain's pace at the top of the league.
He did admit that the recent upturn in form is largely due to the fact that Montpellier now just have the league to focus on.
"[Our form has improved since] the Champions League ended," he told Ligue1.com. "The coach had to rely on the whole squad, because we had two competitions to play. Now, we're just focussed on the league.
"The players want to play in the Champions League again. There was a time when we were a long way off, but now we're just five points off third place.
"We have to keep on winning at home, and try to get some points away to be able to think about qualifying for the Champions League."
The 35-year-old has made 26 appearances for Montpellier this season.
Matt Domm
