UEFA cup quarter final Second leg: Getafe vs. Bayern

Before going into the first leg game, German legend Franz Beckenbauer admitted he didn’t know who Getafe was. He will now know only too well that this Spanish outfit is not to be trusted as Getafe is capable of the best and the worst football in Europe. The Spanish minnows surprisingly scored a late equalizer at the Allianz Arena last week and now have a good advantage going into the second leg at Getafe’s Coliseum stadium, although the players will only be too aware of how difficult a task this elimination is going to be. Perhaps the Germans in the first tie didn’t quite understand Getafe’s great strength against stronger opponents, but they will certainly who now.

Getafe pulled off another surprise result at the weekend by holding Barcelona to a nil – nil draw at the Nou Camp in their domestic league, and are now one of just three teams to pick up points there this season. After this quarter final match they must take on crisis hit Zaragoza in the league and then they will travel to Atlético Madrid’s Calderon stadium to dispute the final of the King’s cup against Valencia. All in all it has been a very productive season so far for the for the modest side, and it is plainly obvious that they are not playing with any kind of pressure, which is down to coach Michael Laudrup. He was criticized at the start of the season for being a bit too soft, but has gone to proved his detractors wrong.

With Getafe’s stadium set to be full to the rafters for the first time in the club’s history, Bayern will have to expect a very hostile environment. I am going for a shock elimination of the German giants as Getafe are a very confident, calm and organized squad commended by a coach who has a lot of experience at this level of football. Bayern might be leaders of the Bundesliga, but they have missed playing in the Champions League this season and not having that top class opposition might well cost them dearly. If they try to go all out for an early goal Getafe will simply soak up the pressure and crate attacks on the counter, and this will be their secret of beating another big club.

Prediction: Home win (2-1)

UEFA cup: Bolton Wanderers vs. Atlético Madrid

Atlético Madrid go into this game after a morale boosting two nil away win at Racing de Santander at the weekend which put them back into fourth spot in La Liga and have regained their form just when they need it the most. Diego Forlan scored twice after an eight game goal draught, and Sergio Agüero made it through eighty minutes after his ankle injury threatened to keep him out for much longer. Atlético coach Javier Aguirre is having tremendous problems owing to players out through injury or suspension. Pablo Garcia and ex- Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia won’t be playing due to accumulating yellow cards, and the infirmary is practically full.  Leo Franco, Zé Castro, Valera and Seitaridis are all definitely out, while Thiago Motta and Fabiano Eller are still doubtful.

Bolton though have their own problems. They have won once in the last six games and are immersed in a relegation battle. They are currently fifteenth in the English Premier league and just three points from safety. Their biggest problem though would seem to be finding someone to fill the gap left by Anelka’s departure to Chelsea. Bolton have scored just five times in the last seven games and this doesn’t look like changing soon. This will be the first time Bolton’s Reebok Stadium sees a full house for a European match, and the fans will want to make a lot of noise to lift their team. Whether their help will be enough though is doubtful, as even with seven players missing from the line up Atlético Madrid are still the clear favorites to take this first leg. Bolton surprised many in the group stage of the UEFA cup by drawing two goals apiece against mighty Bayern Munich away so anything can happen. However, that was back in November, and since then they have won just six times in seventeen games in all competitions. I think Bolton will take the game to Atlético and give it their best, but in the end the Spanish side’s superior quality will win through.

Prediction: Away win (0-2)  

UEFA cup: AEK vs. Getafe

This will be a very hard game to predict, but I think AEK Athens will just nick the match. Playing in front of Greek fans is always a hard task, and Getafe will face them for the first time in the game. Michael Laudrup’s side is having a so-so season, and seems to be more interested in their cup competitions than the league. They have qualified for the semi final of the King’s cup and if they get to face Barcelona in the final will be assured of another UEFA cup place next season even if they lose as Barca will qualify for the Champions League, barring a complete disaster for the Catalan side. Getafe’s league form has been pretty irregular all season, and last weekend they could only draw at home to Deportivo de la Coruña. A week before they lost to Espanyol away and so have slumped to twelfth place, just four points off the relegation zone.

AEK Athens meanwhile are in third place in the Greek first division and four points from leaders Panathinaikos after twenty matches. They have lost their last two league games and the UEFA cup comes as a needed distraction. AEK’s Spanish coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer is no stranger to opposition from his home country but AEK haven’t had too much luck with Iberian sides. They lost at home to Villarreal in the group stage of the competition and twice to Sevilla in the Champions League group phase. In fact, the last time AEK beat a Spanish side was way back in the 1988/89 UEFA cup competition against Athletic Bilbao.

Although Getafe don’t have players with well known names, they form a solid group and defensively are very good. Their aim here will be to score at least once and take that advantage back with them to the Coliseum stadium where in my opinion the tie will be settled. The match in Greece will be very close and I doubt whether a definite favorite will be revealed. I’m going for a narrow home win and all set for the second leg showdown.

Prediction: Home win (2-1)

UEFA cup: Zenit vs. Villarreal

On paper Villarreal may seem clear favorites to win both legs of this draw, but it will be a lot harder for the Spanish outfit than most people think, especially this first leg. Modest Zenit have not lost a home match in a European competition since 1999, which means they have an impressive twenty one match unbeaten run. This could end though, as Zenit coach Dick Advocaat has a terrible record facing Spanish opposition.

Villarreal go into this game after a hard fought one nil away win in La Liga against second from bottom club Murcia, and have lost just twice in the last eight games; a one nil away defeat to Barcelona in the King’s cup and an entertaining three two loss to Real Madrid in the league at the Bernabeu stadium. They are currently third in the league and are looking to earn a Champions League spot next season.

Zenit meanwhile have won the Russian Vischaya league by two points ahead of Spartak Moscow. The problem for Zenit now is that they haven’t played a competitive game since losing away to Everton in the group stage of the UEFA cup back in December, and Villarreal will travel to the Russia fully fit and immersed in two competitions.

Zenit’s Nicolas Lombaerts misses this match due to suspension and his teammate Radek Sirl has to be careful as another yellow card will see him get a one match ban as well. Villarreal don’t have any suspension or injury worries and will travel to Russia with a full strength squad, another reason to suspect the Spanish outfit could take this match.

I’m going for a narrow Villarreal victory, principally because it is the off season in Russia the Zenit lack regular competitive games.  Villarreal’s goalkeeper, Diego López, is having a fantastic season so far and could be a big influence on the final score. He left Real Madrid in the summer because of lack of minutes and has really taken La Liga by storm.

Prediction: Away win (0-2)

UEFA Cup Group C: AEK Athens vs. Villarreal

Villarreal travel to Greece in this last group stage match of the UEFA cup to take on AEK Athens. Three points will make certain the Spanish side win the group and so avoid the more difficult teams in the next round, but this match won’t be as easy as their last UEFA outing when they beat Elfsborg. Group C is wide open going into this last week, with four of the five teams still in with a chance to qualify. Czech side M. Boleslav has the hardest task though, needing to beat Fiorentina away to grab a place in the last thirty two.  

AEK Athens are currently third in Group C and two points behind leaders Villarreal. In their domestic league they are heading the table with the same points as Olympiacos, who beat them at the weekend, ending AEK’s five match unbeaten run. Villarreal got a precious away win to fellow UEFA cup contenders Getafe by three goals to one and ended their run of three domestic games without a win. More good news for Villarreal came when Turkish striker scored twice in the game, proving that he is at his best level again after having problems with injuries. The ‘yellow submarine’ can also travel to Greece knowing that they don’t have any serious injury problems and after next weekend’s league game against Recreativo de Huelva, can look forward to some days off as there aren’t any matches during the Christmas period in Spain.

AEK Athens coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer knows a lot about Spanish football and Villarreal, having been in charge of Mallorca, Betis and Barcelona. When he became coach of AEK he took some Spanish players with him, most notably ex Villarreal defender Rodolfo Arruabarrena. The Spaniard now faces his old companions for the first time in this difficult game.

This match is going to be very hard to predict. Both sides are qualified, but both also know how important it is to finish top of the group. I’m going for a home win here; winning in Greece is never easy, especially against this Athens side who really deserve to win something for their fans and come out of the shadow of  Olympiacos.

Prediction: Home win (2-1)

UEFA Cup: Group B: Athletico Madrid vs. Panathinaikos

This is one game I am dying to see. Both sides are playing brilliant, attacking football at the moment and both would do anything to finish this group stage at the top and avoid some difficult opponents later on.

Athletico Madrid are on something of a roll at the moment and can’t really do anything wrong. They are third in the league for the first time in years (normally at this time of the year they are engrossed in a relegation battle) and have now gone eight games unbeaten, a run which includes six consecutive wins. At the weekend they dropped two points away to Recreativo, but still managed to keep a clean sheet. Their defense, which earlier on in the season was leaking goals all over the place, has seen a great improvement which has played an important role in their new found success. During their eight game unbeaten run they have also managed to keep the number of goals conceded down to four, and three of those came in the four-three home win over Villarreal. They now have to show Greek team Panathinaikos that they can transfer their league form to the UEFA competition. The 2004 Greek champions are also third in their current league (which is made up of sixteen teams as opposed to the twenty clubs in Spain), and have conceded just five goals all season (twelve games). Curiously, their ten match unbeaten run ended on Saturday with a one nil away defeat to modest Panionios, which might well effect their morale.

As both teams have already qualified for the next round of the competition, there will be fewer nerves on show and more room for some good football. I’m backing Athletico Madrid for this one. Playing at home gives them a great advantage and with the defense now playing as well as their superb strikers and can’t see the Greek outfit stopping them. I doubt though if there will be that many goals, as Panathinaikos have a very good back four.

Prediction: Home win (2-1)

UEFA CUP GROUP G: Getafe vs. Anderlecht

Getafe go into this last Group G match of the UEFA cup needing a single point to qualify for the next round. A defeat though, could see them eliminated so there will be plenty of nervous fans watching this game. The Spanish side lost again on Sunday in La Liga, which was their second consecutive defeat in their domestic league. They lost three goals to one at home to Villarreal in a very poor display. Certainly not one to inspire confidence before this game. If Anderlecht can take all three points they will finish top of the group and avoid a lot of difficult rivals, so they will be out in force to make sure they get the job done. Unfortunately, the Belgium club is also going through a difficult period, getting just one win from their last seven matches, and that victory was in the Belgium cup against a second division side. Neither side is high on confidence, which will result in a scrappy game where practically anything can happen, although Getafe do have the advantage of playing in front of their own crowd.

This game I think is going to be very difficult to predict, mostly because neither side is doing particularly well this season. This is Getafe’s first time in Europe after they were granted a UEFA place last year for reaching the King’s cup final (which they lost to Sevilla). Then coach Bernd Schuster decided to go to Real Madrid though, and Getafe brought in Michael Laudrup. His reign got off to a pretty bad start, but they have recently been playing better. However, they are still just one point above the relegation zone and should be looking to secure their place in La Liga next season rather than seek European glory. I’m going for an away win here, as Anderlecht have much more experience when it comes to crunch European games. Getafe though will still probably qualify in third place, which I am not sure will be a good thing for the club.

Prediction: Away win (1-3)

UEFA CUP GROUP G: Anderlecht - Tottenham

This UEFA cup group match features two classic teams from the competition. If memory serves me right this will be a repeat of the 1983-84 final, where Tottenham beat the Belgium side in a thrilling penalty shootout. Anderlecht shouldn’t really have been in the final at all though, as it later became known that they had bribed the referee in the semi final clash which sent then European giants Nottingham Forest out of the competition. That was twenty three years ago and neither team has meet with much success since then.

Coach Juande Ramos is looking to get a victory here which would put the London club through to the next round, although a point would do after winning the last two group games. They are now at the top of Group G and are in a very comfortable position. If Juande Ramos can lead his squad through to the final and win the trophy again, it would mean a record third UEFA cup for the Londoners and an amazing third consecutive UEFA cup winner’s medal for Ramos. Whether the English team are able to pull it off though, is another matter. Tottenham lost at the weekend to Birmingham, and although they were unlucky not to get a point, it was Ramos’ first defeat in charge of the club after seven games, only dropping points in two draws. There is no doubt that the Spaniard has revolutionized the team, but the club’s owners are still demanding European football next year. Whether he can take them from sixteenth in the league and a whopping eighteen points from a UEFA spot, or win this year’s UEFA cup trophy and classify that way isn’t known, but after what he did with Sevilla rule nothing out.

Anderlecht are currently fifth in their domestic league and have only suffered one defeat in the last ten games in all competitions. They are in second place in group G but have played a game less than Tottenham, so could still finish the group as leaders. Spurs have some injury worries and Juande Ramos has opted to leave some of his players out, especially in defense. Ledley King, Anthony Gardner, Gareth Bale, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Ricardo Rocha will all miss the game that will need to take on Anderlecht.

I’m going for a Tottenham win here. Ramos is a master tactician and will know how to break down Anderlecht’s solid back four. I can imagine Berbatov making the headlines in the English papers the morning after this match.

Prediction: Away win (2-3)

UEFA Cup Group C Villarreal vs. Elfsborg

The Villarreal players coached by Manuel Pellegrini hope to seal their passage to the next round of Euope’s second competition and at the same time take their minds off their little upset in the league. The draw at home to Almeria and the defeat away to Valladolid (six points which were well within their reach) has got the nerves of fans and team alike tingling with anticipation. This game can’t come soon enough for Villarreal, who in priori shouldn’t have any problems at all in overcoming the Swedish minnows. Elfsborg are sitting at the bottom of group C after drawing their opening match by one goal apiece to AEK Athens, then losing the following two matches; including a six one to demolition by leaders Fiorentina. They now need to surprise Villarreal in Spain and hope the other games go their way in order to have any hope of continuing to the next round.

Pellegrini will again use team rotations for this game, which so far this season have worked out pretty well. Keeper Diego Lopez is back in goal, and Uruguayan defender Diego Godin looks set to have won a place in the back four. The Spanish side have now gone eight games in European competitions without losing at home (if you don’t count the Intertoto) and look set to make it nine in this match. Elfsborg started their season very well but after being dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers by Valencia, have gone from bad to worse, ending the Swedish season in fourth spot when the league finished in October.  

I’m going for a clear Villarreal win here which means that the Spanish side will progress to the next round while Elfsborg’s season ends in a definite shade of grey. They have a long shot of qualifying but I doubt very much whether they will be able to get anything form this game.

Prediction: Home win (3-1)

UEFA Cup: FC Copenhagen vs. Athlético Madrid

It’s UEFA cup time again and in form Spanish side Athletico Madrid travel to Denmark hoping to continue where they left off after beating Aberdeen in the last group game. This time though they have stiffer opposition as FC Copenhagen are also having a pretty good season so far. They are currently second in the Danish SAS Ligaen, where they have only lost two games from the eighteen played. In Group B of the UEFA cup league, the Danes are just below Athletico in third place, a point behind, so this match could go quite a way in finding out who is going to qualify for the next round. Athletico coach Javier Aguirre knows the importance of this game and has flown out with his first team squad, only leaving behind the injured goalkeeper Leo Franco, Greek international Seitaridis (also injured) and Portuguese defender Ze Castro. The last two are both habitual in the defense so it has come as something of a relief for Aguirre to get back Colombian international Luis Perea. In their last league outing at the weekend, Athletico comfortable beat Betis football club away from home and precipitated the sacking of Argentinean boss Hector Cuper. Everyone knew it was coming, it was just a case of which club would be the ones to do it. In the end it turned out to be Athletico, who, with a goal each from Raul Garcia and the ever dangerous Diego Forlan, dominated for the full ninety minutes. That makes thirteen wins from twenty games this season with just three defeats, and they are sitting in a Champions League spot. Not surprising then the relaxed but confident looks on the faces of the players as they waited at the airport on Tuesday morning.

Copenhagen lost their first UEFA cup match at home to leaders Panathinaikos by one goal to nil, but in the second game they were able to beat Lokomotiv Moscow away by the same score line. The Danish ligaen title holders need a win here to put themselves in line with the Greek leaders as they have some pretty tough games coming up.

I think Athletico Madrid will be too strong for the Danes here and should take the three points back to Madrid. The Forlan – Agüero partnership just gets better and better and I can quite easily see them winning this group and maybe going all the way to the final. Copenhagen haven’t really come up against any real stiff opposition this season, except Benfica in the Champions League qualifiers which they lost.

Prediction: Away win (1-3)

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