FC Steaua Bucuresti coach Cosmin Olaroiu has described Tuesday's visit of Real Madrid CF in UEFA Champions League Group E as a "great occasion for Steaua and for Romanian football", as his side look to increase the pressure on Fabio Capello's team at the Steaua Stadium.

The sell-out match has taken record receipts for a game in Romania and is predicted to draw the biggest television audience in the history of football in the country. "We face one of the most powerful teams in the world," Olaroiu said. "Even if they are not at their best, Real Madrid are still Real Madrid. We must give absolutely everything we can."

After turning heads on Matchday 1 with a 4-1 demolition of FC Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine, Steaua were brought back to earth by Olympique Lyonnais three weeks ago. Olaroiu expects an improved performance against a Madrid side who have also lost to Lyon and beaten Dynamo. "The match against Lyon showed us how we have to play," Olaroiu said. "Hopefully we have learned something from that and we'll be able to put on a show."

Steaua continue to be dogged by injury with Vasilica Cristocea and Mihai Nesu having joined long-term casualties Mirel Radoi and Victoras Iacob on the sidelines. Olaroiu's problems, though, pale in significance alongside those of Capello, whose misfiring team were undone on Saturday with defeat at Getafe CF in the Primera División. Olaroiu had spies in the Getafe camp with coach Bernd Schuster offering his match notes and Getafe's Romanian defender Cosmin Contra voicing his opinions in the Bucharest press.

Yet Olaroiu, whose charges won 4-2 against CFR Ecomax Cluj-Napoca on Friday, downplayed the Getafe result as, unsurprisingly, did Capello. "We discussed what went wrong and we hope we have found the solutions," he said. "Now's not the time to analyse that. Obviously it wasn't a good display. I'm not looking for excuses. We have to concentrate on Steaua."

Capello also refutes criticism that his new-look side are overly defensive. "That is not the real issue," he said. "The team just needs to work hard. If we can do that, we are good enough to win. Obviously this is not the Real Madrid I want. I will have to raise morale just as I did at the other clubs I have worked at."

With José Antonio Reyes tearing a calf muscle on international duty, David Beckham should start and make his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance. Centre-backs Sergio Ramos and Fabio Cannavaro return while Capello must decide whether to partner Ronaldo, sent off against Getafe, or Raúl González, who is carrying a knock, with Ruud van Nistelrooy up front. With FC Barcelona to come on Sunday, it is a crucial week for Madrid. "Madrid always play to win and we must play that way here," Sergio Ramos said.

Probable teams
Steaua: Carlos Alberto Fernandes; Stelian Stancu, Dorin Goian, Sorin Ghionea, Petre Marin; Banel Nicolita, Florin Lovin, Sorin Paraschiv, Gabriel Bostina; Nicolae Dica, Valentin Badea.

Madrid: Iker Casillas; Álvaro Mejía, Sergio Ramos, Fabio Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; David Beckham, Emerson, Mahamadou Diarra, Guti; Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo/Raúl González.

© The Canadian Press, 2007