Juve meets Fulham for first time in Europa League
Thursday, 11 March 2010
LONDON, Mar 10 (AP): One of five former European champions in Europa League action on Thursday, Juventus is up against an unfamiliar opponent.
The Italian club beat Ajax in the last round in a rerun of the 1996 Champions League final but now meets English side Fulham, which has reached the round of 16 in its first ever season of continental competition.
The Premier League side surprised Shakhtar Donetsk, which won the trophy last season before the tournament was revamped as the Europa League, with a 3-2 aggregate win in the last round and will likely know more about Juventus than the Italian side does about its opponent.
"I like to watch football in general so I know Juventus and the players," Fulham forward Zoltan Gera said. "I watch a lot of games from the Italian and Spanish leagues so there won't be any surprises because I've seen them a few times."
Thursday's other seven first-leg matches also feature a mix of regular European contenders and newly emerging hopefuls.
Five-time European champion Liverpool is at Lille, Benfica hosts fellow former European champion Marseille, Hamburg hosts Anderlecht and Wolfsburg goes to Russia's Rubin Kazan.
Atletico Madrid hosts Sporting Lisbon, Pana-thinaikos hosts Standard Liege and Valencia hosts Werder Bremen.
But while Juventus is unlikely to know much about Fulham, which is managed by former Inter Milan coach Roy Hodgson, Fulham also has the experience of playing an Italian side in the Europa League.
"There will be a big difference between Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus," Gera said on Fulham's Web site. "We played against Roma twice and played very well and hopefully we can do the same against Juventus and get a result."
Fulham, which qualified for the competition by finishing a best-ever seventh in last season's Premier League, finished second to Roma in the teams' group after one draw and one narrow loss against the Italian side.
Gera has scored three goals in 11 Europa League matches and is likely to start in support of striker Bobby Zamora, an outside contender for a place in England's World Cup squad.
Liverpool dropped into the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League and its poor season continued Monday when it lost 1-0 at Wigan in the Premier League.
Coach Rafa Benitez lambasted his players for playing "without intelligence" and now expects a suitable reaction against a team fifth in the French standings.
"It was a surprise the other day, but hopefully it was just a blip and we will see the real Liverpool on Thursday," Benitez said. "The players know we have to improve in some specific areas."
Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun may miss the match because of an ankle injury but central defender Daniel Agger should be able to play after staying on the bench Monday because he was sick.
Benfica's meeting with Marseille will be the first between the sides since the Portuguese side won a two-legged European Cup semifinal in 1990.
Benfica has won its five home matches in the tournament by an aggregate score of 17-1 but Marseille is unbeaten in its last three away, making the game at the Stadium of Light tough to call.
The Italian club beat Ajax in the last round in a rerun of the 1996 Champions League final but now meets English side Fulham, which has reached the round of 16 in its first ever season of continental competition.
The Premier League side surprised Shakhtar Donetsk, which won the trophy last season before the tournament was revamped as the Europa League, with a 3-2 aggregate win in the last round and will likely know more about Juventus than the Italian side does about its opponent.
"I like to watch football in general so I know Juventus and the players," Fulham forward Zoltan Gera said. "I watch a lot of games from the Italian and Spanish leagues so there won't be any surprises because I've seen them a few times."
Thursday's other seven first-leg matches also feature a mix of regular European contenders and newly emerging hopefuls.
Five-time European champion Liverpool is at Lille, Benfica hosts fellow former European champion Marseille, Hamburg hosts Anderlecht and Wolfsburg goes to Russia's Rubin Kazan.
Atletico Madrid hosts Sporting Lisbon, Pana-thinaikos hosts Standard Liege and Valencia hosts Werder Bremen.
But while Juventus is unlikely to know much about Fulham, which is managed by former Inter Milan coach Roy Hodgson, Fulham also has the experience of playing an Italian side in the Europa League.
"There will be a big difference between Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus," Gera said on Fulham's Web site. "We played against Roma twice and played very well and hopefully we can do the same against Juventus and get a result."
Fulham, which qualified for the competition by finishing a best-ever seventh in last season's Premier League, finished second to Roma in the teams' group after one draw and one narrow loss against the Italian side.
Gera has scored three goals in 11 Europa League matches and is likely to start in support of striker Bobby Zamora, an outside contender for a place in England's World Cup squad.
Liverpool dropped into the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League and its poor season continued Monday when it lost 1-0 at Wigan in the Premier League.
Coach Rafa Benitez lambasted his players for playing "without intelligence" and now expects a suitable reaction against a team fifth in the French standings.
"It was a surprise the other day, but hopefully it was just a blip and we will see the real Liverpool on Thursday," Benitez said. "The players know we have to improve in some specific areas."
Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun may miss the match because of an ankle injury but central defender Daniel Agger should be able to play after staying on the bench Monday because he was sick.
Benfica's meeting with Marseille will be the first between the sides since the Portuguese side won a two-legged European Cup semifinal in 1990.
Benfica has won its five home matches in the tournament by an aggregate score of 17-1 but Marseille is unbeaten in its last three away, making the game at the Stadium of Light tough to call.