Houllier said:"Alex Miller has watched them twice and they are very young side. They have a good speed and pace about them. But we will be highly motivated for a win.
"They are the under-dogs and people are expecting us to go through. But we have to remember that Basel were not the favourites to go through in the Champions League either."
Houllier is confident his players will soon emerge from their current bad spell - hopefully starting in Holland. "I am a great believer that if you are good at what you do, things will turn around for you," he said.
"The fact and figures, such as the number of shots on goal, entitles me to say: 'Don't worry, it's a difficult period, but we will get back to winning ways soon.'
"We have had over 200 shots on goal this season, which is more than Arsenal and Manchester United. I want my players to keep the same forward thinking but concentrate more and switch on defensively.
"I think they will respond to that. It's something we will sort out together. It's not just a matter of one player."
Listen to Houllier's pre-match press conference here