Real Madrid's Dutch winger Arjen Robben is optimistic his side can defeat Liverpool to reach the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in five years.

Real Madrid entertains Liverpool in the first leg of their European tie in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday night with Robben likely to start.

The winger has missed his team's last two league games, a 4-0 win away to Sporting Gijon and a 6-1 thrashing of Betis last Saturday, but is now a key part of coach Juande Ramos' plans.

Real Madrid has had a huge morale boost thanks to those two results, and with Barcelona slipping up in the race for the Primera Liga title and there is huge expectation in the Spanish capital ahead of Wednesday's match.

Liverpool is the most popular English team in Spain, thanks to the presence of Spanish coach Rafael Benitez, who began his career working in the Real Madrid youth system, as well as Spanish players such as Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Albert Riera.

However, Robben admitted in sports paper Diario AS on Tuesday that he doesn't enjoy watching them play.

"When I was at Chelsea, I used to enjoy games against Manchester United or Chelsea more, because Liverpool is not a team that plays good football," said the winger.

"They are very physical, they work hard and they run a lot. Tactically it is a team that is very well prepared," he explained.

The big uncertainty is whether or not Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be fit to play in the Bernabeu. Gerrard has missed Liverpool's last three Premier League matches, but is included in Rafael Benitez's squad for Wednesday's game.

Robben believes that whether or not Gerrard is in the Liverpool team should not affect the way Real Madrid approaches the game.

"He is maybe the best midfielder in the Premier League and one of the best in the World. But it should not be a problem whether or not Gerrard plays or not."

"In reality it is in our hands and we are going into the tie in good form. Liverpool is not just one player, their main strength is that they are a team," said Robben, who preferred not to prioritize between La Liga and the Champions League.

"You can't choose what you win, but I have never won the Champions League and I would like to win it here," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency Feburary 25, 2009)