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Pre-match press conference (PSV.nl)

20 Feb 2006 - Source: PSV.nl

This newsitem has been supplied by PSV.nl

Guus Hiddink expects that feelings of revenge will prevail among Olympique Lyon when they face PSV in the Eindhoven Philips Stadium on Tuesday night. "We will have to be very alert indeed", he announced at the customary pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon. "We have reached the final sixteen. We are proud of that and we are ambitious and want to progress to the next stage. But we must be realistic at the same time. Olympique Lyon have strengthened their options by signing some very good players. They once again lead the French league by some distance. Even when they put in some less good performances, they manage to grab points, which is what distinguishes a quality side from an ordinary one", explained Hiddink, who added: "I don't think it will be 50/50 as it was last year - I think we start as underdogs. We have been able to replace the host of players that left PSV last summer, bur we will have to be very alert indeed. They will undoubtedly want to take revenge for last season’s elimination. We thwarted their ambitions to reach the finals, which means strong feelings of revenge will prevail", said Hiddink. Hiddink agreed with a reporter who claimed that Olympique Lyon were a sterner opponent for PSV than AC Milan, whom they met in the semi-final. "That was indeed a tall task. We were given hard time by Lyon. A narrow win or a goalless draw would be a good result for us on Tuesday. It would present to us the same chances in Lyon as we had in Eindhoven last season. It is important not to concede goals on the European stage. A few Lyon defenders may be sidelined, but they have a strong, large squad to pick from. So they have plenty of players that can deputize. We will have to show 'European' concentration. It will be a 'make or break' game."When asked what PSV aim at this season, Hiddink replied that the domestic league is of paramount importance. "It would be marvellous to clinch the Dutch title again, but then again, these Champions League ties are also fantastic. Last season many people felt that we had settled an old score and we have progressed to the last sixteen in Europe for the second time in a row. They will be difficult legs, also in view of the budget. But we are ambitious and will play in accordance with generally accepted ideas in European football."The Eindhoven Philips Stadium will be filled to capacity on Tuesday night. Some 1200 Lyon fans will travel to Eindhoven to see the game. There is massive media interest: 83 journalists and 46 photographers have applied for an accreditation. There will be live TV coverage of the game in eighteen countries.