Benzema fears big-time Lyon

With all the effort Karim Benzema has expended on establishing himself at Real Madrid CF since moving from Olympique Lyonnais last summer, there was no way the fiercely competitive striker was going to lose his race for fitness prior to the pair's UEFA Champions League first knockout round meeting at Stade de Gerland tonight.

Madrid's medics were pessimistic about Benzema's chances of overcoming a groin problem in time for Tuesday's visit to France for the first leg of the tie, but he has won his first battle by being included in the squad and it is now up to coach Manuel Pellegrini whether he lines up against friends and former team-mates in front of a partisan crowd that still adores him.

"Immediately before the draw I was talking to some of the Lyon players, and just for a laugh I was saying 'I hope we get Lyon'," Benzema told UEFA.com. "Then, as soon as I saw how the draw had gone and that it had come true, I was shocked. It is going to feel really weird because I scored lots of goals at Gerland.

"I grew up there, all my friends and family live there, and they will be at the match. It's fantastic for me, and I'm really happy that Real Madrid are playing Lyon. I achieved a lot over there, I won the championship, the French Cup. I scored lots of goals. All things being equal, I think they’ll receive me well."

The fact Lyon have twice beaten Madrid at Gerland in recent seasons, 3-0 in 2005/06 and 2-0 in 2006/07, could establish Claude Puel's side as favourites for the first leg. However, the club with whom Benzema won four successive French titles during 112 league appearances are finding their domestic season hard work, currently sitting fourth in the table and departing the French Cup last month following a 2-1 loss to AS Monaco FC.

"Lyon's strong point is that they can be playing badly and then, all of a sudden, they produce a fantastic game," countered Benzema. "It often happens when they play a major team – Lyon raise their game to their opponents' level or even beyond it. They suddenly surpass themselves on the pitch and that element explains how they produce so many top results against big teams, especially at Gerland."

The other strength, Benzema believes, is that even if Real Madrid's magnificent array of talent manages to subdue Lyon, their goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, remains a formidable obstacle. He was the star of France's FIFA World Cup play-off victory against the Republic of Ireland, and also contributed significantly to Lyon conceding just three goals in the UEFA Champions League group stage, a tally bettered only by FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

"Lloris is a great keeper capable of fantastic saves," argued his French international team-mate. "Last season, I played with him at Lyon and I saw first hand how good he is. If Lloris is on form, it will be difficult for us to score against him." Whether or not he plays in the first leg, Benzema is brimful of optimism about his move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

"I feel good, a lot better than I did initially," the 22-year-old confirmed. "At the start, I had never been transferred before and I'd never left my family, so I was living all alone in a city where I didn't speak the language. But now I understand everything and I speak a bit more Spanish. I think I've played some good games, and I hope it will only get better and better." And should Benzema score against his former side? "No, I won't celebrate the goal. I'll keep calm. I hope I score, but I won't celebrate if I do."