The Hindu : Sport / Football : Odds on for all-Spanish final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 03, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Football

Odds on for all-Spanish final

— PHOTO: AFP

WAR CRY: Luis Garcia of Espanyol will be looking to put his side through to the UEFA Cup final.

Madrid: Espanyol has an unconfirmed reservation for the UEFA Cup final. Tickets for fellow Spanish clubs Sevilla or Osasuna are far less predictable.

Espanyol will start with a 3-0 lead when it travels to Werder Bremen in Thursday's second-leg of their semifinal, while defending champion Sevilla trails Osasuna 1-0 when it hosts their second leg.

However, Espanyol has good reason to guard against complacency.

Once before the Barcelona-based team held a three-goal, first-leg lead against German club in the UEFA Cup, against Bayer Leverkusen in 1988 — when it lost the final.

Leverkusen rallied to win its home leg 3-0 and claimed the trophy on penalty kicks.

Espanyol's passage would ensure that Spain has two clubs in the UEFA Cup final for the first time, although the country did supply both finalists three times in the 1960s under the tournament's previous name of the Inter-City Fairs Cup.

Numerous absentees

Espanyol, which has scored a tournament-leading 30 goals this season, will welcome back striker Luis Garcia from suspension.

Garcia will replace Walter Pandiani, the competition's leading scorer with 11 goals this season who is suspended along with fellow first-leg goal scorer Moises Hurtado.

Espanyol's creative midfielder Ivan De La Pena will be sidelined with a calf injury, while Jonatas Domingos is very doubtful due to a bruised leg.

Bremen, hoping to reach its second European final, appears beset by problems.

Thomas Schaaf's team followed its defeat in Barcelona by missing an opportunity to take the Bundesliga lead, losing 3-2 at Arminia Bielefeld last weekend and falling to third place.

In addition, it has been revealed that striker Miroslav Klose has annoyed his club by holding transfer talks with Bayern Munich.

Goalkeeper Tim Wiese will miss Thursday's game because of suspension due to his first-leg ejection, together with defender Clemens Fritz.

History in the making

Still in contention for three trophies, Sevilla could be heading for the greatest season in its history.

Juande Ramos's side trails Spanish league leader FC Barcelona by one point with six games remaining. It is also virtually guaranteed an appearance in the Copa del Rey final, leading Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 entering the second leg of the semifinals.

A second straight UEFA Cup triumph would match the achievement by Real Madrid in 1985-86.

The final will be played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 16. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport