Toulouse defender Mauro Cetto believes his side's victory over French champions Lyon at the weekend is the perfect tonic ahead of their Champions League qualifying clash with Liverpool.

Les Violets, who are playing in the Champions League for the first time, were given little chance of making it into the tournament's group stages when they were paired with the Reds, one of Europe's heavyweight teams.

A 3-1 defeat to lowly Valenciennes on the opening day of the Ligue 1 season appeared to give further momentum to the notion that Liverpool would walk the third-round qualifying double-header.

But confidence has returned to the Toulouse camp following Saturday's 1-0 win over Lyon, the reigning six-time French title-holders.

And centre-back Cetto is bullish ahead of the arrival of Liverpool to the Stade Municipal tomorrow.

"We have prepared well for the match with the victory against Lyon," said the defender, a summer recruit from Nantes. "Now we are already looking forward to getting on the pitch. We are all confident — the win has reassured us after the match against Valenciennes.

"Liverpool is another match, though. We must challenge ourselves again immediately. It is a very big match, a match you don't come across every day. And we are delighted to be able to play in it."

Cetto is under no illusions about the size of the task awaiting his side, who finished third in Ligue 1 last season after putting together a series of good results towards the end of the campaign.

He is full of respect for Liverpool, who won the Champions League in 2005 and were runners-up to AC Milan last season, but feels the English side can be put under pressure if his team-mates show the kind of enthusiasm they had against Les Gones.

He added: "It is going to be very difficult, and we are going to have to try not to concede at home. We go into the match with a lot of desire, while at the same time respecting Liverpool and knowing we have a small chance.

"The difference can be made up by working together, with desire and with the commitment we put in against Lyon. When we see the individual players Liverpool have, it is impressive. They are truly of the highest calibre.

"But we are all players. We know that one day you can have a good match and one day a bad match. There is always a chance of winning. You just have to believe."