O'Leary: We'll give it everything

Leeds boss David O'Leary insists his young side will come out fighting in their Champions League semi-final second leg in Valencia tomorrow night.  

Leeds drew the first leg 0-0 at Elland Road last week and need at least a score draw to write another chapter in an already remarkable campaign by going through to the final.

However, O'Leary, buoyed by the news that Alan Smith should be fit to the return to the side after missing out at Highbury on Saturday as a precaution, insists they will not sit back for a draw.

He warned Valencia: "If we score, they'll get very nervous indeed. Particularly if we get the first goal.

"We don't have to win. We only have to get a scoring draw to go through. But I'm not going there in a negative way. We'll play positive and try to score goals.

"There's no bigger prize in football than getting to a European final. I never thought I'd be asking that of my players, but it's a cup final now, a one-off game."

It is not in Leeds' nature to rest on their laurels, although they have struggled away from home in Spain in three previous fixtures this season, losing 4-0 at Barcelona, 3-2 at Real Madrid and 2-0 at Deportivo la Coruna.

O'Leary accepts that a huge task awaits them again, with Valencia's experienced defence not having conceded a goal to Arsenal or Manchester United in their past three games against English sides.

"Speaking to Didier Deschamps after last week's game, their players enjoyed the experience of the Champions League semi-final the year before and it stood them in good stead," said the Irishman.

"They're an excellent team. It's not a fluke if you get to a Champions League final and then reach the semi-finals the next season.

"It will be very difficult but they haven't beaten United in their two games against them either. The thing that went against Arsenal was the away goal."

O'Leary believes the second leg could be more open than the first, with greater space available for the likes of Smith to take advantage of, especially on the break.

"He will definitely be OK. With the running he puts in, his calf got very tight and we did not want him to tweak it against Arsenal," revealed the Leeds boss of his young striker.

With Danny Mills also set to be fit after resting a tight hamstring, while David Batty is back after being suspended at Arsenal, Leeds should have virtually a first-choice line-up available in the continued absence of Lucas Radebe.

O'Leary was unable to rest any other players at Highbury, however, where he conceded that a 2-1 defeat meant the club's best chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season was winning it this time around.

"I looked at Jonathan Woodgate and Stephen McPhail in the reserves last Thursday, but I had to take Woodgate off after 45 minutes as he just wasn't fit enough, while McPhail was the same," he added.

O'Leary reiterated his belief that the fixture schedule had hardly been geared towards helping his side in Europe.

"You could ideally do without a game at the weekend. But that's not having a go at the FA," he added.

"The point I was trying to make was for future campaigns. That if you want to assist English teams, you really don't need a tough game like that at Arsenal."

O'Leary nevertheless accepts the general principle that packed fixture programmes are a measure of success.

"What we want, year after year, is that there is still so much to play for when you get into May.

"If we're doing that, season in and season out, then we'll know we're becoming successful," he said.

"You don't want to be getting to March and April and thinking you're going nowhere. It's great to get to May and still have everything to play for."