'Our opponents deserve great respect but personally I'm confident in beating Real Madrid,' Nery Pumpido told Asuncion daily Ultima Hora.

'I've said it from the start and I'm sticking to my guns.'

Olimpia, who won the Libertadores Cup in July, have only a fraction of the European champions' budget but are confident of emulating Argentina's Boca Juniors, who beat Real two years ago in the same match.

Pumpido, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and led Olimpia to the Libertadores title only six months after taking over, admitted that Real were the best team in the world.

'There's nothing new about that,' he said. 'They have very expensive players of a very high standard.

'They play complete football. It's dynamic and decisive. But on the field it will be eleven against eleven and the team which is most plugged in for the 90 minutes will win the game.'

'We are not going to give them any advantages, we will play with our characteristic strength and solidarity.'

Pumpido said he was looking to recruit a striker and at least one defensive midfielder to replace Paraguayan international Victor Quintana, who has joined Brazilian club Cruzeiro.

The Intercontinental Cup is taken more seriously in South American than in Europe and Olimpia intend to arrive in Japan 12 days before the match to acclimatise.