SEVILLA - OSASUNA
The essence of the confrontation
The 14th place of Osasuna in the national championship allows Pamplona players not to worry about divisional deployment for the next season. You can completely and completely concentrate on the successful Euro Tournament team.
“Seville” is deprived of such luxury - the taste of champagne on the occasion of the victory in last year’s draw will surely be remembered by her until now, but her native championship has never been won for more than 60 years. There is no doubt that Juande Ramos will orient the wards primarily on overtaking Barcelona, the leader in the example.
Another thing is that Sevilians have recently grown with an extremely ambitious bench, and this largely allowed the team to successfully play on two fronts this season.
DUEL
The 40-year-old Osasuna coach Angel Siganda headed the club's “canter” a year ago, and today he is the creator of the largest success team in history. Such impressive progress did not leave anyone indifferent in Spain. Siganda's rivalry with the newly-appointed headliner of the Spanish coaching corps Juande Ramos can be considered one of the highlights of the upcoming confrontation.
PAST
The outcomes of two planned intra-Spanish squabbles of teams this season do not inspire optimism in Pamplona. Having never won, Osasuna still could not score. The recent April Fools' match of the teams ended in a goalless draw, which was largely due to the absence of several leading players in the Seville ranks. And in November, in Seville, the hosts won 2-0. Kanute scored (from the penalty spot) and Adriano.
Subtext
In the event of a repeat of last year's triumph, Sevilla will duplicate the achievement of Real Madrid, which also took the UEFA Cup for two consecutive years - in the 85th and 86th.
“Osasuna”, which stopped in the summer a step away from the group stage of the Champions League, seems to like playing in European competitions. Winning the UEFA Cup is the only way to get there next season.
WERDER - ESPANIOL
The essence of the confrontation
Espanyol with 27 goals is the most productive in the current tournament. But this is unlikely to be a serious argument in matches with Werder Bremen. If you played Bremen in the UEFA Cup from the very beginning, they would have been more than capable of exceeding the Catalans ’score - Thomas Schaaf’s wards know how to score.
The hopes of the Catalan mentor Ernest Valverde in the attack are connected primarily with Walter Pandiani. The Argentinean is experiencing a second youth and with 10 goals leads the UEFA Cup sniper roster.
Schaaf also has reason for joy - after 907 goalless minutes, Miroslav Klose scored. The 28-year-old striker erupted very on time!
DUEL
This semi-final will probably take place under the sign of rivalry of miracle playmakers - the Catalan Ivan de la Peña and the Bremen Diego. The wisdom of the 30-year-old Spaniard, acquired during the years of his Italian-French wanderings, will argue with the youthful removal of the 22-year-old Brazilian, who spends the best season in the European career.
PAST
Last fall, as part of the Champions League group stage, Werder Bremen has already visited Catalonia. Shaaf's wards had rather bitter memories from their visits to Barcelona - it was the defeat at Camp Nou (0: 2) that sent the Bremen to the UEFA Cup then.
Subtext
The Werder Bremen includes a former Espanyol player - left back Pierre Vome, who is now in the infirmary. Cameroonian, who became the Olympic champion in 2000, spent only one season in Catalonia, and the season was a failure for the team and was sold to Brescia to relieve the club’s payroll.