Madrid Less Romantic But More Solid - Houllier.

Lyon coach Gerard Houllier believes that Capello's Real Madrid have lost some of the romanticism associated with their game, but are toughter for it.

"This is a different Real Madrid [from the one we played last season]," said Houllier in a press conference on the eve of the game. "But I am not to too focussed on our opponents, because our own team is good.

"Real Madrid will be less romantic, but more solid, more difficult to play. The defensive side is not the same, and they are a top team."

"It is essential to believe in ourselves, and we have the midfield to have a great game," he continued, before going on to say that he believed fully in his relatively young side's prospects.

The former Liverpool boss spoke about how valuable such clashes are for the side's development: "All this will make us more mature for the future."

He insisted that there was a lot of scope to improve despite their strong start to the season: "We have yet to unfold out best game over 90 minutes this season."

Houllier also revealed that he was personally looking forward to Capello's visit, as he shared an "exciting" relation with the Italian: "After my operation, we had a brief encounter, and I had a very exciting time with him."

Finally, he spoke about Diarra's return to le Stade de Gerland: "It will be something unique. Everybody knows that he was adored by me. I know what he can contribute to a team. Tomorrow, our friendship will be on hold for 90 minutes."