SIGAND BET
OSASUNA Spain - SEVILLA Spain - 1: 0 (0: 0)
Goal: 1: 0 - Soldado (55).
OSASUNA: Ricardo, Iskerdo, Cuellar, Raul Garcia, Milosevic (Waldo, 88), Kruchaga, Punial, Juanfran, Soldado (Webo, 81), Corrales, David Lopez.
SEVILLA: Kobeno , Javi Navarro, Daniel Alves, Adriano (Puerta, 90), Poulsen, Luis Fabiano (Kerzhakov, 61), Canute, Escudé, Jesús Navas, Marty (Hinkel, 78), Dragutinovic.
Warnings: Poulsen (38), Canute (40), Jesus Navas (45 + 2), Soldado (55), Cuellar (58), Luis Fabiano (58).
26 April. Pamplona. Reynaud de Navarra
Judges: E. Bramhar, P. Fink (both - Holland).
It seemed that in the debut, the rivals, full of European Cupos pathos, decided to portray a semblance of starting intelligence, very relevant for such a high stage. As if this is not their third date in six months, but the first in life. Be that as it may, mutual hypocrisy did not last long. The first to open up were the Sevilians, who committed a couple of timid assassination attempts on the gates of Ricardo.
Pamplona continued to be modest. Cozy accommodating guests in their apartments, the wards of Jose Angel Sigandy for the time being did not bother the enemy too much. Sluggish immanent counterattacks do not count.
However, the debut caution of the young Osasuna coach is easily explainable. To get so far in the first year of a great coaching swimming, not everyone succeeds.
Voluntarily giving up the initiative to an objectively more authoritative rival is a rather trivial method. Running to him, Siganda set all the cash on the standards and - looking ahead - did not lose. Already in the second half of the first half, his players demonstrated three times, due to which they intend to change the score in their favor. Raul Garcia, Kruchaga and Cuellar consistently dangerously hit their heads after standard awnings, but the Seville goalkeeper Kobeno was impeccable. However, in the 55th minute, Roberto Soldado achieved the same success with the same trick - 1-0.
Pamplona warmed up by their native audience began to attack even more actively. However, the creative impulse of the hosts was interrupted with a pause caused by the sharply worsened well-being of the referee Bramhar, who had to be replaced by a reserve colleague.
After an impromptu timeout, Juande Ramos, by introducing Hinkel, saved Daniel Alves from the defensive belts, and it was the 23-year-old lateral who became an accomplice in the most dangerous attacking actions of the guests. At sunset, Kerzhakov, also a substitute, thoroughbred closed the flanking cross of the Brazilian, but the score did not change - the ball went higher.
Sevilians should hardly project negative conclusions from the first meeting to the return one. The minimum defeat at a party cannot be called a sentence. By the way, three days after the second Sevilla match, go to Real Madrid, on the Santiago Bernabeu. Then the skillful rotation of the team, glorifying Juande Ramos this season, will come in handy.
BY THE EXAMPLE OF “OSASUNA”
ESPANIOL Spain - WERDER Germany - 3: 0 (1: 0)
Goals: 1: 0 - Moises Hurtado (20), 2: 0 - Pandiani (50), 3: 0 - Korominas (88).
ESPANIOL: Gorka, David Garcia, Lacrus, Pandiani (Ito, 73), de la Peña (Honatan, 79), Rufete (Korominas, 83), Riera, Torrejon, Harke, Moises Hurtado, Tamudo.
WERDER : Wiese, Pasanen, Naldo, Baumann (Vranjes, 79), Fritz, Diego, Klose (Hugo Almeida, 74), Hunt, Ovomoyela, D. Jensen (Rainke, 60), Frings.
Warnings: Moises Hurtado (25), Baumann (37), Pandiani (67), Fritz (90 + 5).
Removal: Wiese (58).
26 April. Barcelona Olympico de Montjuic.
Judge: T. Henning Ovrebo (Norway).
It is not known for certain whether José ngel Siganda and his Espanyol colleague shared their successful experience of opposing Leverkusen Bayer, but the fact remains: having stunned Werder Bremen in the first match, Ernesto Valverde's team brought the response back to the formality status.
As expected, the outcome of the meeting was largely predetermined by the debate - both in-person and in absentia - of Ivan de la Peña and Diego. If the Spaniard conducted the partners exquisitely the whole game, then the Brazilian was deprived of the usual message with both the three oporniks and a couple of forwards.
The Catalan defensive quartet, with the support of Moises Hurtado, preventively eliminated all threats from the Bremen side. By quickly supplying de la Peña with the recaptured balls, the wards of Valverde provided an immediate transition from defense to attack.
Thomas Schaaf turned out to be corny not ready for such an aggressive counterplay. Unpleasantly surprised and the game of the Germans on the second floor. A pair of central defenders of Mertezaker –Naldo have accustomed us to their undivided supremacy above. But that evening only a Brazilian was in service, and it was with his connivance that Espanyol scored the first and second goals. Both from the gears of de la Peigny.
Perhaps putting an end to the prospects of Bremen is a bit premature. Schaaf’s wards have repeatedly proved in practice that almost any club in the world can score three times on their field. Another thing is that without the goalkeeper Wiese removed in Barcelona and with the experimental composition of the defense, Schaaf even less than before can be sure of the safety of his own goal.