Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello is confident of victory today against Levante.
"I'm happy with the players I have," said the Italian.
"Barcelona have been a solid group for three years and all the players know each other very well. We need time to achieve that equilibrium. Everything is harder for us, but we are going to be competitive."
"There have been no surprises. We've strengthened those positions we thought were the weakest. The team didn't have enough good defenders, but I have a lot of faith in the defence we now have."
"I bring a new player to a team in order to improve on the existing players. (Fabio) Cannavaro is a great footballer, a world champion and a leader on the field."
Levante coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro is playing down any notion of revenge against Real whom he coached following the sacking of Wanderley Luxemburgo last season only to not have his contract renewed.
"I don't want to express an opinion about Capello," said Lopez Caro. "You only have to look at his record to see his ability as a coach."
"The new president took an important decision to bring Capello on board and it was to benefit the club."
He admitted his team was shaken by the Sevilla resulting, saying: "It was hard to digest because it was not representative of what the team is capable of."