Debrecen daunted but delighted

Debreceni VSC may feel like footballing minnows compared with Olympique Lyonnais, but after kicking off their Group E campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Liverpool FC, András Herczeg has a "wonderful feeling" about his side's first UEFA Champions League fixture at their adopted Ferenc Puskás Stadium home.

András Herczeg, Debrecen coach
We've waited a long time for this and now it's here it's a wonderful feeling. We know the huge difference between us and Lyon in terms of financial turnover and, of course, their track record in the Champions League. We've tried to prepare as best we can but we realise it is already a great achievement to be here; we are a small club at European level. The absence of our injured players will obviously have a negative effect but we have to cope. We've watched them and their players and we know how good they are; almost all of them have international experience. They are very fast so we must not give them space. We know both Lyon and Fiorentina are strong teams and we have to play to our best to get something from these games.

Claude Puel, Lyon coach
This is Debrecen's first time in the Champions League but I saw a DVD of the match against Liverpool and they are very well-organised with good tactics. It will be very difficult because they are a dangerous team who defend and block very well so we know we might not get many opportunities in front of goal. We cannot say this is similar to any other game because all opponents are different. They are a real team with a great team spirit and without big stars. There will be a lot of fans here tomorrow, a full house, and we don't know what to expect in this stadium so it will not be easy, but it also won't be a problem.

Weekend results
25/09/09 Kaposvári Rákóczi FC 4-4 Debrecen
(Bank 17, Nikolić 61, Zahorecz 64, Reszli 86; Czvitkovics 47 54, Szakály 70, Rezes 81)
• Goalkeeper Vukašin Poleksić squandered the chance to stretch Debrecen's winning 1. Liga run to six matches when he missed a 90th-minute penalty. The match was the first Debrecen have drawn in any competition this season.

26/09/09 Lyon 2-1 Toulouse FC
(Tafer 52, Gomis 71; Sissoko 9)
• Lyon's last loss came on 2 May with a 2-0 reverse at Valenciennes FC. Of the 14 subsequent matches in all competitions, Les Gones have won eleven. Summer signings have accounted for 15 of Lyon's 22 goals in all competitions this term.

Team news
• Debrecen
Out: Zoltán Szélesi (knee), Djordje Pantić (concussion), Róbert Feczesin (knee)
Doubtful: Gergely Rudolf (knee), László Bodnár (ankle), Norbert Mészáros (hamstring)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

• Lyon
Out: Lisandro (groin), Anderson (shoulder), Jean-Alain Boumsong (groin), Michel Bastos (ankle), César Delgado (thigh)
Doubtful: Ederson (ankle)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• The Hungarian titleholders enjoyed a 100 per cent home streak in the qualifying rounds but Lyon's recent away record in the UEFA Champions League group stage is excellent, winning ten and losing just two of 15 games from 2004/05 onwards.

• Lyon have never faced Hungarian opposition before while for Debrecen, this will be only the second time they have played against a team from France.

• Debrecen's Paris-born forward Adamo Coulibaly never played top-level football in his home country, ending up at Debrecen following stints with Belgian clubs K. Sint-Truidense VV and R. Antwerp FC.

Did you know?
Debrecen and Hungary forward Gergely Rudolf began his professional career with French club AS Nancy-Lorraine. He spent two seasons in their first-team squad between 2005 and 2007 but started only one game in Ligue 1.