ATHENS - Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy insists his team-mates are confident they can put one foot in the next round of the Champions League by beating Olympiacos on Tuesday.
Bernd Schuster's side are three points clear of Olympiacos at the top of Group C and know victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium will all-but ensure their place in the last 16.
Having thrashed Valencia 5-1 at the Mestalla last Wednesday, Madrid were brought back down to earth with a 2-0 defeat to Sevilla on Sunday and Van Nistelrooy is backing them to respond.
"We know what football can be like. You play a great match in Valencia one day and two days later you turn around and lose, but we have to remain calm," he told the club's official website, www.realmadrid.com.
"We win a lot more matches than we lose. We are confident and optimistic heading into our match in Greece.
"We were all upset and angry after the Sevilla game, but all we are thinking about now is Olympiacos."
Two late goals from Robinho and Javier Balboa gave Madrid a 4-2 win over Olympiacos at the Bernabeu two weeks ago, and they were made to work for their win despite the Greek side being down to 10 men for most of the game.
Olympiacos are also unbeaten at home this season and defender Christoph Metzelder knows the Spanish champions have their work cut out.
"I think it will be very difficult because they'll be playing with one more man, their fans. They will be very loud, but we have to be prepared to beat them on their home turf," he said.
Real go into the game without midfield duo Arjen Robben and Guti (both hamstring), while striker Gonzalo Higuain (thigh) and goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek (back) are also out.
Following their performance in Spain, Olympiacos coach Takis Lemonis is confident his side can get a result from a game he describes as "super-important".
"I don't know what might have happened had we played with 11, but that's hypothetical and I cannot give an answer," he told the club's official website, www.olympiakos.gr.
"On Tuesday night we will be more aggressive. We are on the right track, we are very serious and always trying to correct our mistakes.
"Werder's victory over Lazio has opened the group up and the game against Real is super-important. I sincerely believe that we can hope for something good."
Argentina forward Luciano Galletti grabbed one of Olympiacos' goals in the Bernabeu and he is hoping they can build on that performance in front of their partisan home support.
"I had one of my best games in the Bernabeu and felt we deserved a draw. I think we will feel better than them with our fans behind us at at Karaiskakis and we will do better," he said.
Lemonis is facing a selection dilemma in defence ahead of the game with centre-back Paraskevas Antzas (thigh) and left-back Didier Domi injured and right-back Vassilios Torosidis suspended for his dismissal in the Bernabeu.
Influential Argentinian midfielder Christian Ledesma is also ruled out with a damaged thigh muscle he sustained in the Bernabeu.
