Ronaldo confident of comeback

Posted Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by PA

Cristiano Ronaldo is confident Real Madrid can turn around their Champions League tie with Lyon and avoid tumbling out of the competition at the last-16 stage for the sixth successive year.

Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat in the first leg in France after Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun struck a brilliant 25-yard drive past Iker Casillas just after half-time.

"In football anything is possible. We've lost here but we have a game at home in which we can repeat what they did here," said the Portugal international, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008.

Tuesday night's defeat was Madrid's third successive loss at the Stade Gerland and it could have been worse, with Lyon hitting the post in the first half through Cesar Delgado and creating a number of other chances.

Madrid only really exerted any sustained pressure on the home goal in the closing stages, but despite his side's disappointing showing, Ronaldo is adamant this is not the end of the line for the big-spending Spanish giants.

He added: "I'm calm. In this competition you have to suffer. I'm sure that we will give a good answer in the return game and that we will win.

"The Bernabeu will help us. We will have to give to give it everything from the first minute until the last. The tie is not lost."

Kaka, who like Ronaldo is already a Champions League winner having been victorious with AC Milan in 2007, is also optimistic about his side's chances of making it through to the quarter-finals.

"We know that we are going to suffer, but we are used to playing important games. Real Madrid are ready and focused to achieve it. It's our objective. We can turn it around in the return leg," he said on his club's website.