Uefa Cup 10 / 04 / 2008

[Ajkson]

THE UEFA UP 2007/2008 Q-final(2nd Leg) #2

Getafe v. Bayern Munich

Both teams began their Cup campaign in the 1st KO Round where Bayern Munich disposed of Portuguese side Belenenses on a 3-0 aggregate whilst Getafe had a tough time overcoming Dutch side FC Twente Enschede by the away goal rule after the sides tied on a 3-3 aggregate.

The two teams did very well in the Group stage with Getafe topping Group G with 9 points whilst Bayern scored 8 points to top Group F. There is no denying that Bayern had the easier tasks whilst Getafe had to contend against the likes of Tottenham and Anderlecht.

In the 3rd KO Round, Getafe accounted for AEK Athens quite easily wining the tie with a 4-1 aggregate whilst Bayern finished off Aberdeen with a 7-3 aggregate. Both teams continued their excellent runs in the Cup race with Bayern ousting Anderlecht with a 6-2 aggregate whilst Getafe beat Benfica 3-1.

The two teams met at the Allianz Arena where the Germans were expected to make it a easy win over their Spanish visitors but their poor finish and a late goal by Getafe's Cosmin Contra had the score level at 1-1. Such an away result normally suggests that the home side will most likely beat the visiting team this time around.

But that is unlikely and rightfully the bookies have made the visitors the favorites to win this match here at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. To begin with the Germans are a classier side and it had been their lackadaisical approach to that home match that caused them to concede that late goal. Secondly the home side will be without a number of key players. Mario and Pablo Hernandez are out with injury whilst Cata Diaz will most probably join them on the sideline. Likewise, Granero will sit out of this match as he is suspended.

Though Getafe have been doing very well in the Cup matches they have been mediocre in their domestic league of late. They have failed to win in their last 3 matches with only a draw.

A very close match but exposure and experience favor the visitors who will be guided by the wily Ottmar Hitzfeld to win this match and proceed to the next round!

[ENGLISH]

This is good reading Ajkson, you have convinced me to bet on Bayern. Congratulations on joining my short list of tippers, that have gave me confidence enough to bet, without double checking.

[Ajkson]

no prob mate

[Ajkson]

i think about double bayern 6/5 + colo colo 2/9.

[Ajkson]

UEFA Cup, Quarter-final, 2nd leg
Thursday, 10-04-2008, 6:30 PM CET
St. Petersburg, Petrovski

After 4 defeats in a row Bayer Leverkusen's coach Michael Skibbe will change a lot in Bayer's lineup above all considering that the big defeat at home in the first round has already destroyed almost all their chances to go on in this UEFA Cup.
3 players stayed in Germany and they are the 22 y.o. Swiss left/right midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta (38/6 and 1/0 with Switzerland), who is suffering for a groin injury, the 23 y.o. second goalkeeper Benedikt Fernandez (3/-1 and 12/- with Bayer Leverkusen II in Oberliga Nordrhein and DFB-Pokal), and as already known to everybody the 34 y.o. defensive midfielder Carsten Ramelow (5/1).
As second goalkeeper the 22 y.o. Erik Domaschke (0/0 e 13/- with Bayer Leverkusen II in Oberliga Nordrhein) has flown to St. Petersburg and will sit in the bench with all the regular players that Skibbe will rest that are Manuel Friedrich, Arturo Vidal, Simon Rolfes, Stefan Kießling, Sergej Barbarez and Theofanis Gekas and therefore in the starting lineup Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker, Pirmin Schwegler, Lukas Sinkiewicz, Paul Freier, Sascha Dum and Dmitri Bulykin will have a chance.

Home team Zenit St. Petersburg is yet with Kim Dong Jin ruled out for five to six weeks with a leg injury suffered in training, to follow the long-term loss of Nicolas Lombaerts with knee ligament damage, and thus coach Dirk Advocaat is tackling a defensive crisis and the Dutch coach complained about a short squad.
Moreover, defenders Ivica Križanac and Aleksandr Anyukov as well as midfielders Radek Šírl and Fernando Ricksen and strikers Pavel Pogrebnyak and Andrei Arshavin are all one booking away from a suspension.
The Dutchman, whose three-game touchline ban is now served, suggested that their European run, which already contains the scalps of Villarreal and Olympique Marseille, may have sown the seeds for a shaky start to the Premier-Liga season.


Expected lineups:


Zenit St.Petersburg: Malafeev - Aleksandr Anyukov, Shirokov, Ivica Krizanac, Radek Sirl - Denisov, Tymoshchuk, Zyrianov - Fayzulin, Andrei Arshavin - Pavel Pogrebnyak


Bayer 04 Leverkusen: 1 René Adler - 27 Gonzalo Castro, 2 Karim Haggui, 29 Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker, 15 Hans Adu Sarpei - 16 Pirmin Schwegler, 20 Lukas Sinkiewicz - 8 Paul Freier, 25 Bernd Schneider, 14 Sascha Dum - 13 Dmitri Bulykin

available: 34 Erik Domaschke - 5 Manuel Friedrich, 17 Vratislav Gresko - 23 Arturo Vidal, 6 Simon Rolfes, 36 Sergej Barbarez - 11 Stefan Kießling, 10 Theofanis Gekas



Referee: Mejuto Gonzalez (Spagna)
Assistants: Yuste Jimenez (Spagna), Calvo Guadamuro (Spagna)
Fourth official: Gonzalez Vazquez (Spagna)


A stunning performance in Germany last week took Zenit one step closer to emulating CSKA Moskva's 2005 tournament victory. But they went into that away game having suffered a 3-1 home league defeat by FC Rubin Kazan and, on Sunday, the Russian champions lost a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at FC Shinnik Yaroslavl – leaving them seven points off top spot after just four matches. "After throwing away two points at the weekend there is no reason to feel good," Advocaat said. So I think that Advocaat will ask another good performance in front of their fans. Moreover Skibbe is going to field a very weak lineup after 4 defeats in a row with more than half Bayer's starting eleven made by regular substitutes players. Maybe it will sound a risky bet considering the big margin that Zenit are going to defend at home but I can't see anything else that another Russians win here and the odds offered for this match are really more than tasting in my humble opinion because my valuation is giving at least a 60% chance to win for Zenit.

[ENGLISH]

I have bet my max, for today, no way will Zenit make me change my policy, They may sit back tonight, as 4 away goals is a big cushion, i expect, not that i will check, that they will not risk key players to injury. Which to me means few goals, narrow lose, or draw.

[Behemoth]

By narrow lose, you mean - narrow Zenith win, or narow Bayer win?

[ENGLISH]

Sorry, i mean, Zenith to draw or lose.

[Ajkson]

good luck i bet them to win

[ENGLISH]

I do not believe in luck, and judging, if i may, by the content of your posts niether do you, you are gambling on Zenit, and you know it.