Schalke hope to make home advantage count

FC Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath believes home advantage could prove decisive as the German team look for their third straight win in the Arena AufSchalke against UEFA Champions League Group B leaders Olympique Lyonnais. Claude Puel, his opposite number, wants to "capitalise" on their chance of qualifying with a game to spare.

Felix Magath, Schalke coach
This is our third home match. We comfortably won the first two so we will have a chance tomorrow as well – even though we are hosting Lyon, probably the strongest team in the group. The other game [between SL Benfica and Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC] doesn't matter to us because we have no influence on it. We have to take care of our own situation and improve our own position by winning.

Lyon are strong defensively and from this [base] they use their attacking players such as [Michel] Bastos. They are playing well and are always capable of scoring. That's why it is important for us to be strong in defence. If we can, we will surely get chances to score as we have raised our attacking game in recent weeks.

Claude Puel, Lyon coach
We've come here to win. I predicted an open and attacking game against Benfica but no one could guess that so many goals would come in that game. Schalke have to perform in front of their supporters, they need the points, but I want my players to forget about the last group match. If you have a chance [of early qualification], you have to capitalise on it.

I was very pleased with the second half in Lens [at the weekend]. I want us to perform like that over 90 minutes, but to do so we need more maturity. However, we're on our way − not only looking at the results but also at the way we're playing football. Schalke's form is also getting better. They brought in lots of new players this summer, of different nationalities. This is something that takes time to come together. If we can use our strengths, we surely have a chance of getting a result.

Team news
• Schalke
Junmin Hao (appendectomy) and Tim Hoogland, who has not played this season because of a knee problem and pancreatitis, are both back in training, although Christoph Moritz dislocated his left shoulder in Tuesday's session and will be out for "several weeks". Missing for all of last season, Christian Pander has played for the reserves twice recently.

• Lyon
Lisandro is doubtful despite coming on against RC Lens on Sunday having been out since injuring his calf in training on 29 October. Aly Cissokho started the game for his first appearance since suffering a thigh injury against AC Arles-Avignon on 24 October. Cris (tendonitis, left knee) and Clément Grenier (thigh) are unavailable.

Weekend results
20/11/10 Schalke 4-0 SV Werder Bremen
(Metzelder 22, Raúl González 45+2 56 71)
Raúl helped seal the win with a hat-trick, taking his tally to five strikes in his last three Bundesliga appearances – and six this term.

21/11/10 RC Lens 1-3 Lyon
(Akalé 24; Gomis 64 73, Lisandro 89)
Bafétimbi Gomis's two goals were his first in the league since a double in the 3-2 win against SM Caen on 15 August.

Did you know?
In the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, Magath, then in charge of VfB Stuttgart, got the better of Puel's LOSC Lille Métropole, overturning a 1-0 away defeat with a 2-0 win in Germany.

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