Puel preaching spirit of adventure

Olympique Lyonnais are "at the start of an adventure" according to coach Claude Puel and they will be loath to let it end against Real Madrid CF in the first knockout round. The Spanish giants have exited at this stage of the competition in the last five seasons, yet visiting coach Manuel Pellegrini has told his players to concentrate on their current form ahead of Tuesday's opening leg in France.

Claude Puel, Lyon coach
The Champions League is always different to a league game. We've had good results in the championship recently but we know that we still need to improve the quality of our play and our consistency. We're confident of our abilities. We're ready and the players are really motivated to play this game. Even though we have a lot of respect for Real Madrid, we'll do everything to make sure we have a chance of going though in the second leg. Our team is building its own future and gaining in strength all the time. We're at the start of an adventure. We want to qualify whether we're favourites or not. Real Madrid are above all a solid team. Pellegrini is currently succeeding in his attempt to build a real squad from individual stars.

Manuel Pellegrini, Madrid coach
It's not a decisive week for us but it's an important one, as we'll need to get a good result in the first game to go through. Karim Benzema has recovered and he's a candidate to play. I know that he was an important player for them in the past and he's really happy to see the fans again. We have to stay concentrated on our present form and not think that the club were eliminated at this stage of the competition in each of the last five years. Olympique Lyonnais are difficult opponents.

Weekend results
13/02/10 Lyon 1-0 RC Lens
(Delgado 77)

• Lisandro was rested, but came on to set up fellow substitute César Delgado for the winner as Lyon maintained fourth spot in Ligue 1, eight points behind leaders FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

• Lyon are unbeaten in Ligue 1 in 2010, winning four and drawing one.

13/02/10 Xerez CD 0-3 Madrid
(Arbeloa 64, Ronaldo 69 71)

• Saturday's victory took Manuel Pellegrini's side to 53 points from 22 games, equalling Madrid's best-ever haul at this stage and taking them to within two points of leaders FC Barcelona. The mark was first set in 2007/08, when Los Merengues last won the Liga title.

• Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 17 goals in as many games in all competitions for Madrid this season.

Team news
Lyon
Out: Anderson (knee, calf, shoulder), Mathieu Bodmer (groin), François Clerc (knee)
Doubtful: Anthony Réveillère (gastroenteritis)
Suspended:
Misses next match if booked: Lisandro, Miralem Pjanić

• Puel has included Réveillère in his squad despite the full-back suffering from a stomach virus.

• Jean II Makoun is set to return to the side after serving a suspension at the weekend.

Madrid
Out: Christoph Metzelder (strained right calf), Pepe (torn knee ligaments), Jerzy Dudek (right knee), Guti (hernia, ankle), Rafael van der Vaart (groin)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Marcelo, Lassana Diarra

• After a long absence through injury, Guti had become a regular player again in recent weeks, only to miss the Xerex match with an ankle problem before picking up a groin problem in training.

• Benzema has recovered from the groin injury he suffered against RCD Espanyol on 6 February but must compete with Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín for a starting berth.

Background
• Lyon beat Madrid on the last two occasions the clubs met in France (3-0, 2005/06 group stage; 2-0; 2006/07 group stage). Both games in Spain were drawn.

• Madrid have lost their last three two-legged contests with Ligue 1 opposition, against AS Monaco FC in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and Paris Saint-Germain FC in the last eight both in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup and the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Team Ties
• A product of the Lyon academy, Benzema made 112 league appearances for the club, scoring 43 goals and helping Lyon win four league titles. Benzema's fellow Lyon old boy Mahamadou Diarra made 121 appearances for Lyon between 2002 and 2006 before joining Madrid.

Did you know?
• Madrid coach Pellegrini got the better of his Lyon counterpart Puel when they met previously in the UEFA Champions League in the 2005/06 group stage. Pellegrini's Villarreal CF earned a goalless draw at Puel's LOSC Lille Métropole before a 1-0 home win earned Villarreal progress as group winners and eliminated Lille.

Read more on the match in the official UEFA Champions League press kit.