Real Madrid

Manuel Pellegrini, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain, Esteban Granero and several other Madridistas offered the team’s first reactions after learning that their next Champions League opponent is Olympique Lyonnais.

Cristiano Ronaldo:
"I think Lyon are a difficult team but we are required to win. They have won the French league seven times, which speaks words about how strong they are. They have a lot of good plauers. I played against them when I was with Manchester and I can say they are a tough team. May the better team win; hopefully that will be us."

"Benzema can point us in the right direction because he spent many years in Lyon. It will be a special match for him. I am sure he will do his best to help us win.

Kaka:
"I am sure Benzema will tell us what we have to do to win. We beat Marseille in the group stage, and altough they are different teams, we need to be well prepared to play well in both legs. Lyon have always done well in the Champions League. We must be very careful with them. Perhaps the Italian teams drew the toughest matchups, but we can't be overly confident."

Pellegrini:
"They are a difficult opponent just like all the other possible teams we could have drawn. All that matters is what kind of shape you are in heading into a match. We hope to be in top form and to qualify for the quarterfinals. Past history is important and you must take it into account, but it is not a decisive factor. Lyon have won the Ligue 1 many teams in recent years and have performed well in the Champions League. Any opponent at this stage would have been tough, so I am fine with the outcome."

"We don’t play for another two months so we should be focused only on Zaragoza. We cannot think about the Champions League or our vacation time. Zaragoza won’t be easy because they aren’t doing that well and they have a new coach."

Higuain:
"We are pleased based on the quality of the other teams we could have drawn. Olympique Lyonnais is a tough team, but we can beat them. We have already played against Marseille this season so we know how tough French teams are, but we hope that we make it to the next round knowing that we play the return leg at home. The Inter-Chelsea and Milan-Manchester matches will be incredible. We want to make it to the quarterfinals and be among the best."

Granero:
"We knew we could have drawn a complicated opponent. It will be exciting. It will be a tough tie because there are no easy rivals at this stage. We need to win every match to win the title. It’s good that we don’t have to travel far. Every team has its own way of playing. They are very strong and will make it very difficult for us. We want to do just as well as we did in Marseille and make it to the quarterfinals."

Marcelo:
"We watched the draw. We didn't have any preference because we are only concerned about ourselves. We avoided the stronger teams. We must work hard to make it to the next round."
 
Xabi Alonso:
"Every team from now on is tough. We are confident that we can beat Lyon and anxious for the day to come. It is important that we play the return leg at home and bring points back from France."

Garay:
"We were anxious to see who we would be playing, but we knew that every opponent was good. Playing the return leg at home makes us more confident. Lyon has talented players. They are a tough opponent, but we need to make it to the quarterfinals. We hope to win and continue our good streak against French teams."

Drenthe:
"They are a comfortable opponent and at first glance not one of the toughest. We need to respect them, though. I am sure Benzema will want to play well against his former team. He was successful there and it will be special for him. Anything can happen in the Champions League, so we have to be ready."