Odemwingie looks for Lille steel

'Three points'
Lille lie at the foot of Group D heading into their Matchday 4 meeting with Manchester United FC but after claiming a point at Old Trafford last time out, Odemwingie believes they will face Sir Alex Ferguson's side without any inferiority complex. "We are going out for three points and we will be confident," the 24-year-old told uefa.com. "We got a goalless draw in Manchester and now we are at home with our support behind us and we can really go for it."

No fear
He added: "United are still United even though they are going through a difficult time - they are still a top team and we've got one of the youngest teams in the UEFA Champions League but the way football is at the moment, it's not the names that make the difference any more. It is how you prepare for the game and for the past three years that's what's been happening all over the world - in the last [UEFA] European Championship and the qualifiers for the World Cup."

Improving form
After opening with a 1-0 defeat at SL Benfica, Odemwingie believes Lille have improved with each match of their first UEFA Champions League campaign since 2001/02, earning goalless draws against both Villarreal CF and United. Now they must start scoring goals and winning games, and with just three points separating them from Sir Alex Ferguson's group leaders, there is no shortage of incentive.

Gaining confidence
"You can see the difference match after match," said Odemwingie. "We are getting confident. We are very young and sometimes we get overexcited and release the ball too quickly but we've tried to get as much experience as possible. We know that as individuals we are not the best team but our strong point is the group - we work for each other and give everything on the field. We still have a chance - if we win our two home games and go to Villarreal and get at least a point, I think it is possible."

Scoring duck
Odemwingie would love to be the man to break Lille's scoring duck. He has three goals in 14 appearances so far this season but believes his form is "better than last year when it took me some time to adapt to the tactics" following his arrival from Belgian side RAA Louviéroise. Adjusting to a new culture posed no problem for a man born in Uzbekistan to a Nigerian father and Russian mother, but on the pitch the learning process continues.

Learning role
Slightly built but fast and blessed with two good feet, Odemwingie admits that he is still learning the lone striker's role that he filled at Old Trafford a fortnight ago (he and fellow striker Matt Moussilou are paired together only occasionally). "Sometimes we play with one striker and it's not the best for me," he said. "But I've scored three goals so far and I'm really motivated by the UEFA Champions League. I want to see how the big players live and I want to be part of that." Staying part of that will require something special but Odemwingie is undaunted. After all, David has beaten Goliath before.