Manuel Pellegrini said the team is confident in reaching the next round of the Champions League. He also pointed out Benzema is ready to play.
Champions League:
La Liga and the Champions League are different competitions. We are three points closer to the leaders in Spain, but there is still a lot at stake. The Champions League is very important to us. The form we are in right now is more important to us than what Barcelona did on Sunday.
Benzema:
Benzema is ready to play. He is very happy. Karim is a very important player and people love him here. No doubt the match will be special to him.
Morale:
The squad is optimistic. We feel confidence in the possibility of making it through rather than frustration for failing to do so in recent years.
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February 15, 2010 | Categories: Press Conference | Tags: Manuel Pellegrini | Leave A Comment »
Iker Casillas addressed the media in Lyon the day prior to the Champions League match against Olympique Lyonnais.
Real Madrid can’t drop out in the Last 16 this year.
Our latest games against Olympique Lyonnais have not been great for us. In fact, they’ve more often been bad than good on our part. There are very few players left on the team from that time. We’ve reinforced urselves with great footballers that came from teams that have reached farther then the Last 16 in recent years. I think the combination of them and those of us who are still here could help us reach the next round. That isn’t to say Lyonnais don’t stand a chance and can’t complicate things for Real Madrid.
What do you think of Olympique Lyonnais?
They seem to be struggling more in their league this year, fighting to reach Champions League qualifying positions. All teams change. They are a fast team, very good at counterattacking. We must concentrate during their set pieces. The weather conditions will also be a handicap for us.
How important is it to play the return leg at the Bernabeu?
It’s hard to explain what’s better. We’ve earned unfavourable results in the past few years playing the first leg both at home and away. It depends on the score. It may seem that a 1-0 victory here is good, but if they manage to score one strike in Madrid we will then be forced to net two. The important thing is to play well away from home and the best result is not to concede any goals. I think a 1-0 victory would be a rather good result.
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February 15, 2010 | Categories: Press Conference | Tags: Iker Casillas | Leave A Comment »
Hola,
Now that its just down to two points between us and the league leaders Barcelona, its time to focus on the Champions League fixture. That’s right Liverpool fans. The UEFA Champions League. The mother of all club tournaments.
It will be Olympique Lyonnais vs Real Madrid in the 20:45 CET (1:15 IST) kick off at Stade Gerland as the home side will be looking to complete a hat-trick of home victories when the teams contest the opening leg of their first knockout round tie. Lyon beat Madrid on the last two occasions the clubs met in France although Real are unbeaten away in this season’s competition.
Real, as we all know very well, are seeking their first quarter-final place since the 2003-04 season and have already won once on French soil this season, coming from behind to defeat Marseille 3-1 in the final group game which ensured first place in Group C. Like us, Lyon too claimed 13 points in their section but finished second behind Group E winners Fiorentina. The French side have been knocked out at this stage in the past three seasonss, going down to Barca last year.
Coincidentally or should I say tragically Real have lost their last three two-legged contests with French opposition – going down on away goals to Monaco in the 2003-04 quarter-finals and losing to PSG in the last eight both in the 1992-93 UEFA Cup and the 1993-94 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Manuel Pellegrini though has had better luck with his counterpart Puel whenever they’ve faced each other. He got the better of Puel when they met previously in the Champions League in the 2005-06 group stage. Pellegrini’s Villarreal earned a goalless draw at Puel’s Lille before a 1-0 home win earned them progress as group winners and eliminated Lille. Puel has had little joy against Spanish sides, suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Mallorca in the 1999-00 UEFA Cup fourth round while at Monaco. With Lille though he enjoyed a 1-0 win against Sevilla in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage but suffered a round of 16 elimination by the same opponents in the 2005-06 edition. As a player too he hasn’t had that much luck against Spanish opposition.
(more…)
February 15, 2010 | Categories: Comments, News, Pre-preview | Tags: Álvaro Arbeloa, Claude Puel, Gerland, Karim Benzema, Mahamadou Diarra, Olympique Lyonnais, Raúl Albiol | Leave A Comment »
Just another Madridista
Champions League is back – Lyon pre-preview
Hola,
Now that its just down to two points between us and the league leaders Barcelona, its time to focus on the Champions League fixture. That’s right Liverpool fans. The UEFA Champions League. The mother of all club tournaments.
It will be Olympique Lyonnais vs Real Madrid in the 20:45 CET (1:15 IST) kick off at Stade Gerland as the home side will be looking to complete a hat-trick of home victories when the teams contest the opening leg of their first knockout round tie. Lyon beat Madrid on the last two occasions the clubs met in France although Real are unbeaten away in this season’s competition.
Real, as we all know very well, are seeking their first quarter-final place since the 2003-04 season and have already won once on French soil this season, coming from behind to defeat Marseille 3-1 in the final group game which ensured first place in Group C. Like us, Lyon too claimed 13 points in their section but finished second behind Group E winners Fiorentina. The French side have been knocked out at this stage in the past three seasonss, going down to Barca last year.
Coincidentally or should I say tragically Real have lost their last three two-legged contests with French opposition – going down on away goals to Monaco in the 2003-04 quarter-finals and losing to PSG in the last eight both in the 1992-93 UEFA Cup and the 1993-94 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Manuel Pellegrini though has had better luck with his counterpart Puel whenever they’ve faced each other. He got the better of Puel when they met previously in the Champions League in the 2005-06 group stage. Pellegrini’s Villarreal earned a goalless draw at Puel’s Lille before a 1-0 home win earned them progress as group winners and eliminated Lille. Puel has had little joy against Spanish sides, suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat by Mallorca in the 1999-00 UEFA Cup fourth round while at Monaco. With Lille though he enjoyed a 1-0 win against Sevilla in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage but suffered a round of 16 elimination by the same opponents in the 2005-06 edition. As a player too he hasn’t had that much luck against Spanish opposition.
(more…)
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February 15, 2010 | Categories: Comments, News, Pre-preview | Tags: Álvaro Arbeloa, Claude Puel, Gerland, Karim Benzema, Mahamadou Diarra, Olympique Lyonnais, Raúl Albiol | Leave A Comment »