Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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19.04. (Thu) 21:05 Sporting Lisboa - Athletic Bilbao

FC Schalke 04 v Athletic Bilbao - UEFA Europa League
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS
SPORTING LISBON


Patricio
Pereira, Xandao, Polga, Insua
Carrico
Schaars, Matias
Izmailov, Van Wolfswinkel, Capel
ATHLETIC BILBAO


Iraizoz
Iraola, San Jose, Amorebeita, Aurtenetxe
Iturraspe
De Marcos, Herrera
Susaeta, Llorente, Muniain

Sporting defender Daniel Carrico returns to the fold after missing the second leg of the quarter-final tie against Metalist due to suspension. Bruno Pereirinha and Oguchi Onyewu resumed full training last week but will most likely not feature in the starting lineup.

Jeffren Suarez is in doubt for the match because of fitness problems, while Fito Rinaudo and Alberto Rodriguez have been ruled out as they are still recovering from their respective injuries. Sporting coach Ricardo Sa Pinto will also not be able to count on Elias, who is ineligible for the continental competition.

Athletic coach Marcelo Bielsa has been boosted by the news that Iker Muniain is fit to play after missing the weekend match against Mallorca because of injury. Carlos Gurpegui flew with the rest of the team Lisbon after a six-month absence following a knee ligament injury, but he is expected to be left out of the match squad.

One significant blow for the Spanish side is the loss of Javi Martinez through suspension.


DID YOU KNOW?

  • Sporting Lisbon have won every match at the Estadio do Alvalade since Ricardo Sa Pinto took over from Domingos Paciencia.
  • They have equalled Barcelona's record for the highest number of consecutive continental victories with the 2-1 win against Metalist last month.
  • Athletic Bilbao lost to Sporting 4-2 on aggregate in the 1985/86 Uefa Cup third round, winning the first leg 2-1 at home before suffering a 3-0 defeat in Lisbon.
  • Ricardo Sa Pinto's Sporting side have a record of five victories, five draws and eight defeats in previous matches against Spanish clubs.
  • Athletic's record against Portuguese opposition, on the other hand, read four victories, one draw and one defeat.
  • Marcelo Bielsa's side are on a five-game unbeaten run in Europe and have won four of their last six matches on the road since the start of the Europa League group stage.

Prediction
Sporting have an excellent record on home soil, particularly in this season's Europa League, but Bilbao have notched brilliant victories away versus Manchester United and Schalke, so perhaps a draw will be the most likely outcome.
Editor's Prediction
Sporting 1-1 Bilbao

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19.04. (Thu) 21:05 Atletico Madrid - Valencia

    Joao Miranda, Radamel Falcao - Atletico Madrid
Joao Miranda, Radamel Falcao - Atletico Madrid

PROBABLE LINEUPS
ATLETICO MADRID


Courtois
Perea, Miranda, Dominguez, Filipe
Gabi, Suarez
Adrian, Diego, Arda
Falcao
VALENCIA



Guaita
Costa, Rami, Ruiz, Alba
Tino Costa, Topal
Feghouli, Jonas, Mathieu
Soldado

Diego Simeone conducted a training session on Tuesday with only club captain Antonio Lopez and Silvio Pereira not taking part. The two players continue their rehabilitation from injury and worked separately from their team-mates during the week.

Atletico Madrid will have to make do without influential defender Diego Godin for the first leg as the Uruguayan will miss the match through suspension.

Unai Emery's side have been buoyed in the last couple of weeks by the return Hedwiges Maduro and Sergio Canales from injury. However, it is unlikely that either player will be match fit to make the starting XI for the Vicente Calderon visit.

Victory Ruiz missed the disappointing 4-0 defeat by Espanyol at the weekend with a minor injury but he is thought to be fit enough to feature against Atletico. Ricardo Costa may come in at right-back as Antonio Barragan is suspended. Ever Banega is out for the season after breaking his leg.


DID YOU KNOW?

  • Atletico Madrid and Valencia have had one previous meeting in Europe, and it took place in this competition in the 2009/10 season. The Madrid side went through on away goals after earning a 2-2 draw at the Mestalla and then shutting out Valencia 0-0 at home.
  • Atletico have won their last eight European home matches since an unexpected 3-2 loss to Aris Thessaloniki FC in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage.
  • Diego Simeone's side are the most prolific scorers left in the competition with 25 goals – one more than Athletic Bilbao. They are the strongest finishers in the tournament in another respect too, with six of those goals coming between the 76th minute and the final whistle.
  • Valencia's 11 games against Spanish compatriots in Uefa competition have ended in six wins, three draws, and two losses.
  • Los Che have won only one of their last nine continental fixtures on the road (1-0 at Stoke City in this season's round of 32), with the other eight producing four draws and four defeats.
  • Unai Emery's side are the only team left in this season's competition who competed in the Champions League group stage.

Prediction
The hosts have won their last eight European matches at the Vicente Calderon while Valencia have won just one of their last nine on the road in Europe. All signs point to a victory for Diego Simeone'e men in the first leg of the semis, although the two side's are incredibly evenly matched, so expect just a narrow triumph for Atletico.
Editor's Prediction
Atl. Madrid 2-1 Valencia

Europa League Opta Facts - Semi-Final First Legs - April 19th


Atlético Madrid vs Valencia
Atlético are on a run of nine straight wins in the Europa League.
In this match, the rojiblancos can become the first-ever side to win 10 straight games in the UEFA Cup/Europa League.
These two sides were drawn together in the 2009/10 Quarter-finals of this competition. Atlético went through following a 2-2 draw at Valencia and a 0-0 at home.
Atlético are unbeaten at home in all-Spain ties in European competitions (exc.Qualifiers): W2 D1.
Valencia have never won away to another Spanish side in a European competition (D3 L1).
Los Che have only managed one win from their last nine away games in Europe (exc. Qualifiers), and have failed to score more than once in any of these matches.
Falcao has scored 25 goals in 26 matches in the Europa League.
The Colombian striker has scored in each of his last three appearances in the competition.
Valencia central defender Rami has scored three goals and picked up one red card in Valencia's last three Europa League games.

Sporting CP vs Athletic Bilbao
The last two seasons have produced only Iberian semi-finalists in the Europa League: three Spanish and one Portuguese this season and three Portuguese and one Spanish last season.
Athletic's only previous visit to Sporting came in the 1985/86 UEFA Cup when they lost 3-0 in the third round.
The Basque side have won four of their six European matches on the road this season, averaging 2.2 goals per game.
Athletic have scored in every Europa League match this season.
Bielsa's men have won four of their six meetings with Portuguese sides in European competitions (exc. Qualfiiers): D1 L1.
Sporting have won only one of their last 10 meetings with Spanish sides in Europe (exc. Qualifiers): D4 L5.
The Portuguese side are unbeaten at home in Europe (exc. Qualifiers) in the last three seasons, winning 11 and drawing four of 15 games.
Sporting have won all six games at home in Europe this season (exc. Qualifiers), conceding just two goals.
Fernando Llorente has bagged four goals in Athletic's last four Europa League games.
Athletic have conceded the joint-most penalties in the Europa League this season.

20.-22. 04. 2012. DUŠAN TADIĆ (GRONINGEN, HOLANDIJA 1) PRED GOSTOVANJE AJAKSU

BREDA - RODA GG 3+ - Radi se ekipama podjednakih kvaliteta. Malu prednost bih dao Bredi, ali su mi najizvesniji golovi.

HERENEVEN - VITESE - GG 3+ - Domaćin je poznat po ofanzivnom načinu igre. Vitese je u odličnoj formi, tako da je teško da se prognozira konačan ishod. Zato bih se opredelio, kao i na prethodnom paru, za golove.

DE GRAFŠAP - HERAKLES X2 - I jednima i drugima su bodovi potrebni, De Grafšapu za opstanak, a Heraklesu za plej-of. Gosti su kvalitetniji.

RKC - UTREHT 1 - Gosti su u padu forme, što bi RKC trebalo da iskoristi, jer dobro igra na svom terenu.

AJAKS - GRONINGEN 3+ - Mi putujemo rasterećeno u Amsterdam. I dalje imamo mnogo problema sa povredama. Vraćaju nam se dvojica igrača koja su bila suspendovana zbog kartona. Ajaks je veliki favorit, ali igraćemo otvoreno. Mislim da će biti mnogo pogodaka.

20.-23. 04. MARKO JOVANOVIĆ (VISLA, POLJSKA) VERUJE DA ĆE KOMŠIJE DA SAVLADAJU VIĐEV

Posle Partizana nova stanica u karijeri Marka Jovanovića je Visla. U paketu sa Ivicom Ilievim, prošlog leta se otisnuo u Krakov, u redove šampiona Poljske. Iako su mnogi navikli da Vislu gledaju na vrhu, sezona nije bila uspešna.
- Platili smo ceh igranja u Evropi - kaže Jovanović. - Na početku sezone smo sve bacili na Ligu šampiona. Delilo nas je tri minuta od plasmana u elitu, ali je APOEL bio srećniji. Uspeli smo da prezimimo u Ligi Evrope, ali smo nesrećno ispali od Standarda.
Četiri kola pre kraja situacija i na vrhu i na dnu je neizvesna. Ima li sigurica ovog vikenda?
- Meni je ovo prva sezona u Poljskoj. Iznenađen sam koliko je liga neizvesna. Naredno kolo je veoma teško za prognozu, ali ako bih morao da izdvojim neki fiks, onda je to na našeg gradskog rivala, Krakoviju. Komšije su poslednje. Ako žele do izbore opstanak, moraju do tri boda protiv Viđeva na svom stadionu. Motiv za Krakoviju je i to što se naredne nedelje igra veliki derbi Krakova, gde smo mi domaćini. Velika je netrpeljivost između gradskih rivala, pa se očekuje mnogo bure, posebno na tribinama.
MOJ TIP
KRAKOVIJA - VIĐEV 1
Polonija - Ruh 1
Legija - Leh X
Jagielonija - Gornjik Z. 1
Podbeskidzje - Visla 2
Zaglebje L. - Belhatov 1
Lehija - Slask 1X
LKS Lođ - Korona 1