19.05. (Thu) 00:30 Libertad - Velez Sarsfield

DID YOU KNOW?

* Libertad are under pressure, but will be buoyed by their home form. In four Copa home games this year, they have won three and drawn one, scoring 12 goals and conceding just four.
* This includes a memorable victory in the last 16 against Fluminense, who they thrashed 3-0 to go through 4-3 on aggregate.
* An unlikely win against Velez would put them into the semi-finals for only the second time in their history.
* On that occasion, in 2006, they went out to eventual winners Internacional.
* The return of captain Sarabia (right) could be key. The 35-year-old veteran has lifted no less than 11 national championships with Libertad, Cerro Porteno and Argentina's River Plate, and picked up 47 caps in the Guarani Seleccion.

* Velez Sarsfield begin as red-hot favourites in the tie, and have won their last three games convincingly. Last week's 3-0 rout was preceded by a 5-0 aggregate victory over LDU Quito in the last 16.
* Top scorer Santiago Silva is also back, and hoping to add to the three he has notched so far in the competition.
* Velez have also only reached the semi-finals once previously, but went better than the Paraguayans in winning the 1994 edition under Carlos Bianchi's direction.
* A key part of that team was Paraguayan legend Jose Luis Chilavert, who played in the Fortin for 10 years. 'Chila' even scored a penalty in a 5-3 shootout win over Sao Paulo.
* The teams have met only once in the history of the Libertadores, which was Velez's 3-0 win a week ago.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Libertad (4-4-2):
Vargas; Bonet, Sarabia, Canuto, Samudio; Aquino, Caceres, Rojas, Gamarra; Maciel, Pavlovich

Libertad look set to make two changes from the side which lost 3-0 in the first-leg. Former River Plate player Rodrigo Rojas comes in for Victor Ayala, while Pedro Sarabia replaces Pedro Portocarrero in central defence.

Velez Sarsfield (4-3-1-2):
Barovero; Cubero, Domínguez, Ortiz, Papa; Fernandez, Razzotti, Zapata; Moralez; Silva, Martínez

Uruguayan titan Santiago Silva has recovered from a muscle tear and is expected to start as the Fortin revert to a 4-3-1-2 setup. Young Ricky Alvarez drops to the bench in the only switch for the away team.

Prediction
  Libertad 1-1 Velez Sarsfield  

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Europa League Opta Facts - The Final

Europa League Opta Facts - FINAL

FC Porto v Sporting Braga

*This will be Porto's fifth appearance in a European final and their second in the Uefa Cup/Europa League.

*The Dragons beat Celtic 3-2 in 2003 in their only previous appearance in this final.

*Sporting Braga will be appearing in their first ever European final.

*FC Porto have just become only the second team in history to win the Portuguese top flight without losing a game.

*The Dragons finished a remarkable 21 points clear of Benfica, who came second, and 38 points ahead of Sporting Braga, who finished fourth.

*Porto striker Falcao has already broken Jurgen Klinsmann's record of most goals in a single European campaign by netting 16 goals in 13 Europa League games so far.

*The Colombian has scored five more goals than Braga have managed in Europe all season (11).

*Hulk has completed 47 dribbles in the Europa League this term, 20 more than any other player.

*This will be the eighth Uefa Cup/Europa League final to contain two teams from the same country, with Portugal becoming the fifth nation after England, Spain, Germany and Italy (four times) to produce both finalists.

*In all competitions Porto have lost four games all season, with two of their defeats coming against Spanish opposition in the Europa League.

*Villas Boas' side have netted 34 goals in the competition so far this term, nine more than any other side.

*Porto have, however, managed just one clean sheet in their last 12 European fixtures.

*Braga have only netted 11 goals in 14 European fixtures this season, including just six in eight in the Europa League.

*The Archbishops have kept four clean sheets in their last six Europa League games.

*If Porto win, they will become the first team to win their domestic league, domestic cup and the Uefa Cup/Europa League in the same season on two separate occasions, having achieved the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2003.

*Only nine of the 56 teams to have played in the Europa League this season have averaged fewer goals per game in the competition than Braga (0.75).

*Braga failed to win any of their last four Portuguese league games, failing even to score in each of the last three.

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