Thursday, February 24, 2011

24-02-2011 Europa League Preview Round-Up

PSG - BATE Borisov
Paris St Germain welcome the reigning Belarusian champions to the Parc Des Princes, after gaining a 2-2 draw in their away leg. The away goals will be vital for them as BATE make their first ever journey to France. PSG have to be considered favourites to go through, but the Belarusians will have no intention of going down without a fight.

Twente - Rubin Kazan
Twente host a Rubin Kazan side they were able to defeat 2-0 in a chilly first leg in Russia, and will surely be confident of progressing in the competition. Climate and confidence will be on their side, but Rubin are a side that can always pull up a tree or two. If Twente approach the game professionally, they should be able to get the result they need, but will suffer the consequences if they become complacent.

Ajax - Anderlecht
Ajax will be extremely confident of getting past Anderlecht after winning the first leg in Belgium 3-0. The Dutch side are the stronger of the two teams, and their first leg dominance came as no surprise, so neither will a win in Amsterdam.

SC Braga - Lech Poznan
After an unsuccessful Champions League campaign, Braga were rocked by a 1-0 defeat in Poland. The tie is still wide open, and both teams will need to come out strong to stand a chance of qualifying for the next round of the competition, but Braga will look to capitalise on home advantage, as well as a much friendlier climate.

Dynamo Kiev - Besiktas
No prizes for guessing which of these two sides will reach the next round. After a dominant 4-1 win in Istanbul, Dynamo host Besiktas in the Ukrainian capital, where the temperature is forecast to be well below freezing. Should the star-studded Turkish side progress, it would have to be considered one of the most impressive comebacks in European history.