St. Petersburg “Zenith” in the first match of the quarter finals of the Europa League play football with the current holder of the trophy of the Spanish “Sevilla».
«Zenit» turned the sole representative of Russia, to reach the quarterfinal stage of European club football. Now a team of Andre Villas-Boas will try to take a step further. But to do this in the 1/4 finals will have to undergo an old friend rival – the Spanish “Seville”, the current winner of the Europa League. The first match will take place in Spain, the return game – a week in St. Petersburg.
Among the trumps “Seville”, one of the most exciting teams in Spain, excellent composition, set the game and a great experience matches this level. And with the mood of the home team will be all right. Prior to the meeting with the Russian club team Unai Emery in Example away points from the most “Barcelona” scratched the Catalans in the very end of the match a draw heroic.
In the sense of the tournament in the national championship at the “Seville” ideal situation in order to focus just on the European Cup victory (or even second) in the Liga does not shine, but getting into the next draw at least Europa League team Emery currently guaranteed. Maybe even get into the Champions League. Why not wipe the defense of the trophy?
Life “Zenith” in the first match could seriously complicate the personnel issue: due of two yellow cards will miss this game Danny, Hulk, Smolnikov and Criscito. As Villas-Boas will be able to replace them – perhaps the main question before the first quarterfinal meeting.
In the Spanish team in question participated in the match Daniel Carrico, received a strong bruise in the game with the “Barcelona”. According to Emery, a decision will be made after a morning workout at the team.
Confrontation “Zenith” and “Seville” resplendent with many amusing coincidence, parallels and common characters that always gives the history of football matches more depth. Or at least gives the topics of conversation journalist and commentator. Here are some of them …
The teams have met in the second most important European club tournament, and more than once. In 2006, when he was still known as the UEFA Cup, “Seville” knocked out “Zenith” from the tournament just in the quarterfinals, first big win at home (4: 1) and then having achieved a draw on the road.
The current coach, “Seville” Unai Emery a couple of years ago, served briefly in Moscow “Spartak”, becoming another coaching misses in team history. This is his once called derogatory diminutive form of the word “coach” the future zenitovets Artem Dzyuba. And Emery red and white “Zenith” lost. And with a crushing score of 0: 5. On the eve of the match, this is one of my favorite stories from the Russian journalists.
It is in the “Seville” held its own “European universities” forward “Zenith” Alexander Kerzhakov. In the mid-2000s, many Russian players have dreamed of the big European championships. For Spain Kerzhakov had to conflict with the leadership of the St. Petersburg club, but in the winter transfer window of the season-2006/07, he still moved to Spain. And about a year business there had evolved more than successful.
Now the striker fell out of favor with the head coach of the blue-white-blue André Villas-Boas. But the match with “Seville” still flew.
Spanish voyage Kerzhakov as the Russian episode coaching biographies Emery, now often remembered in Spain. The mention of this, of course, and got a selection of the most interesting facts about the “Zenith” made by the press service of “Seville”.
Coach “Zenith” Villas-Boas also happened to play with “Seville” in the Europa League during his work in the “Port”. In the season-2010/11 it was his team was stronger (in fact, the strongest of all, because “dragons” then took the trophy), but the Spanish club decently patted his nerves in 1/16.
With regard to the likelihood of the semi-finals, the same Emery at the pre-match press conference stressed that at this stage of the tournament say that there does not have favorites, and he believes the chances of both teams are about equal.
Forecast “Gazety.Ru” – 2: 1.
personnel losses of the Russian team is still quite substantial in order to expect a positive outcome in the confrontation with such a serious contender. Yet knowledge of European football Villas-Boas and experience players “Zenith” allow to count on the most acceptable of the negative options – a defeat with a minimum difference in the score when the ball hammered in a foreign field.
Other news, materials and statistics can be viewed at page Europa League.
See also:
No comments:
Post a Comment