Real Madrid's high-price squad will be trying to avoid its sixth straight early exit from the Champions League when it faces Lyon on Wednesday in the second leg of the first knockout round.
Madrid, which spent more than €250 million ($340 million) on new players in the offseason, has high expectations for this season with the final to be played at its home stadium.
Lyon beat Madrid 1-0 in the first leg and needs only a draw to advance and join Juventus, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, AS Roma and Liverpool as teams to have knocked Madrid out of the competition following the group stage.
"Real Madrid, with all of the signings it has made this year and knowing that the final is being played in the Bernabeu, has to give 100 percent for the game," Madrid playmaker Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez said. "It would be a disaster if we were knocked out by a rival like Lyon, who are good but not among Europe's great clubs."
Madrid's poor performance at Stade Gerland has been forgotten following a morale-boosting 3-2 league win over Sevilla on Saturday, where the Spanish powerhouse rallied from a two-goal deficit.
"I'm sure the team is going to advance," Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo said. "We're going to do everything we can from the first to the last minute."
Of Madrid's new signings, Ronaldo and Kaka are sure to start, while coach Manuel Pellegrini is likely to go with striker Gonzalo Higuain over Karim Benzema, who is just returning from a groin injury. Xabi Alonso is suspended, as is fellow midfielder Marcelo. Guti returns after missing the first leg, as does midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart, who scored the injury-time winner against Sevilla.
Madrid has won all but one of its 17 home games this season - a 3-2 loss to AC Milan in the group stage.
"We know it's difficult but possible," said Ronaldo, who has a competition-high six goals. "We'll do all we can from the first minute to get through."
Lyon is coming off a 0-0 draw against relegation-threatened Boulogne in the French league, not an ideal result ahead of the match against the record nine-time champions.
Lyon, third in France, will be without Brazilian midfielder Michel Bastos but remain hopeful that striker Lisandro Lopez (foot) and Aly Cissokho (ankle) will be ready.
"It's going to be a very difficult match after the way they won in the league," Lyon playmaker Miralem Pjanic said. "To play at Madrid in front of so many spectators is magnificent, a dream for all players. But we'll have to be warriors, to fight to the end and keep them from developing their game and scoring that goal they need."
The visitors haven't conceded a goal in any competition in 620 minutes - a run stretching to January. Madrid hasn't beaten a French team over two legs in three tries, while Lyon has also won three of its four European away games this season.
Ronaldo is expecting the Bernabeu crowd to prove crucial.
"If they behave like they did against Sevilla, then we can get the best of ourselves to beat Lyon," Ronaldo said. "We know it will be difficult but all together we can comeback against Lyon at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid will be in control."
