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UEFA Cup
Topic Started: Dec 21 2007, 07:23 AM (1,308 Views)
Merengue
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I am 100% behind you guys in your praise for Getafe. You don't need multi million dollar signings to play good futbol. They've built a solid team led by one of the best midfields in Spain and their collective play is a real treat to watch. How far they can go in this UEFA Cup remains to be seen but they have Benfica on the ropes after yesterday's result. Any progress beyond the octave finals would just be the cherry on the cake for Getafe.

Apparently Tim Howard with some good saves is who kept Fiorentina down to only a two goal win over Everton as Fiorentina were threatening all game long. 2-0 down isn't a great result to go home to but it also isn't an insurmountable deficit either. For that look at what faces Anderlecht in their trip to Bayern Munich!
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Simon
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Tim Howard did make some good saves, but I also think he could have stopped at least one of the Fiorentina goals. Who'd be a goalie? As Merengue says, Everton could turn that around, but I think their lack of an away goal will be costly. Everton have had a tremendous season but I don't think they have the squad to maintain their challenge on various fronts. They wouldn't admit it, but I think elimination from the UEFA Cup could be beneficial if it helps them focus on their main objective, which is qualification for next year's CL. I still think they may fall just short, especially as Liverpool are now in 4th place.

Spurs played well and were probably the better team against PSV, but perhaps the difference was in the respective defences. PSV defended very efficiently and denied the free-scoring Spurs forward line any clear-cut chances, while at the other end it was another day, another player, another defensive howler for Tottenham. On this occasion it was the Brazilian international Gilberto, on his debut, who caught an early dose of the 'Spurs defence' bug when he tried a dribble on the edge of his own box, only for Jefferson Farfan to steal the ball and fire it past Robinson.

Good wins also for Rangers, Marseille and Getafe, but Bayern's result is clearly the most eye-catching.
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Martin
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Getafe and Michael Laudrup are the Grim Reaper for opposing coaches in the UEFA Cup!

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-...uters&type=lgns

Quote:
 
If Primera Liga side Getafe make it through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup against Benfica on Wednesday, the coach of their next opponents would do well to watch his back.

Five of the club’s six opponents in the UEFA Cup this season have changed their coaches around the time they have played the Madrid-based side.

Group opponents Tottenham Hotspur sacked managed Martin Jol after their 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane, Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Guy Luzon resigned four days before their game in Madrid while Anderlecht also changed coach before facing Getafe in the round-robin stage.

AEK Athens sacked Llorenc Serra Ferrer just 24 hours before meeting Michael Laudrup’s side in the round of 32 and Jose Antonio Camacho threw in the towel after Benfica lost against them in the first leg of their last 16 tie earlier this month.

Getafe’s last opponents in the Primera Liga were Real Murcia who sacked their coach Lucas Alcaraz and appointed Javier Clemente last week, but as on previous occasions the change had little effect as Getafe ran out easy 3-0 winners.


If Getafe get past Benfica as expected today I don't envy the coach of the team who draws them in the next round!
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Merengue
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Wow, I never really saw Michael Laudrup as the Angel of Death! :lol:

Full credit for what Getafe have been doing these past few years. maybe it is tiem people stop looking a them as this little club from outside Madrid and start viewing them for what they are, a well run club who have a very competitive team.
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valenciano
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Wednesday's 2nd leg results:

Zenit St. Petersburg 2 - 0 Marseille (3-3 agg.)
Hamburger SV 3 - 2 Bayer Leverkusen (3-3 agg.)
Bayern Munich 1 - 2 Anderlecht (6-2 agg.)
Everton 2 - 0 Fiorentina * (2-2 agg., 2-4 pks)
PSV Eindhoven * 0 - 1 Tottenham H. (1-1 agg., 6-4 pks)
Getafe 1 - 0 Benfica (3-1 agg.)

This shows you how closely matched so many of these teams were. 2 games went to PKs (won by Fiorentina and PSV) and 2 others were decided on away goals (won by Zenit and Bayer Leverkusen).

Bayern had the luxury to play reserves yet still won comfortably over both legs and Getafe won again in Benfica's first game under new coach Fernando Chalana. Great anecdote about Getafe as the Grim Reaper of opposing coaches!
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Manzanares
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Yes no question these were evenly matched games except for Bayern Munich-Anderlecht and Getafe-Benfica. We'll see what happens tomorrow in the remaining two games but with Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, PSV and Getafe left there are good possibilities for some attractive matchups. But nothing has stopped me from claiming Bayern Munich are still the favorites.
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Manzanares
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Thursday's scores:

Werder Bremen 1-0 Rangers (1-2 overall)
Sporting Lisbon 1-0 Bolton (2-1 overall)

So these will be the eight teams in tomorrow's draw:

Rangers
Sporting Lisbon
Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen
Zenit St Petersburg
Fiorentina
PSV Eindhoven
Getafe

Definitely more diversity than in the Champions League.
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Manzanares
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Here is the draw for the quarterfinals and beyond in the UEFA Cup:

Bayer Leverkusen v Zenit St Petersberg

Rangers v Sporting

Bayern Munich v Getafe

Fiorentina v PSV Eindhoven

* First leg ties to be played April 3

Second legs to be played April 10.


Semi-finals

Bayern Munich or Getafe v Bayer Leverkusen or Zenit St Petersberg

Rangers or Sporting v Fiorentina or PSV Eindhoven

* First legs ties to be played April 24

Second legs to be played May 1

Bad luck for Getafe as they get drawn with tournament favorites Bayern Munich but if anything Getafe will not play like they're scared of Bayern. But it would take a brave person to bet against Bayern. The winner of their matchup faces the Bayer Leverkusen- Zenit St Petersburg winner in what could be an all German semifinal. In the other half of the draw Fiorentina-PSV should be a good match and the victor between them will play the Rangers-Sporting Lisbon winner.
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Merengue
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That was bad luck for Getafe. With the way they've been playing I think I would have liked their chances against almost any other team in the draw but Bayern should just have too much for them. With Getafe's small stadium capacity that should be one hot ticket when Bayern travels to play there!

Fiorentina vs PSV should be a really good matchup. Anybody know when Mutu is supposed to be back for Fiorentina?
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valenciano
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The UEFA Cup has been full of surprises in recent years, CSKA Moscow won it a few years back, last year Espanyol made the final, so while Bayern on paper looks the heavy favorite, remember this is the UEFA Cup and the unexpected can happen. Teams like Getafe and Zenit are the real underdogs of those remaining and I'd look to them to provide the possible shocks here.
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Hector
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Bayern Munich does have a tendency to overlook opponents they consider weak. yesterday they lost to Cottbus, the bottom club in the Bundesliga and last season they lost twice to the bottom team in the league. Psychologically they must overlook these teams. If they take that attitude in against Getafe they'll get hurt as Getafe doesn't play around. On paper Bayern are the huge favorites but we can't overlook the attitude they'll take into those two games.
iPuerta amigo, Sevilla esta contigo!
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Manzanares
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What an interesting day in the UEFA Cup,

Bayer Leverkusen 1-4 Zenit St Petersburg
Bayern Munich 1-1 Getafe
Fiorentina 1-1 PSV
Rangers 0-0 Sporting Lisbon

A huge away win by Zenit who destroyed Bayer Leverkusen with a deadly counter attack. That series is all but over now. Getafe with a 90th minute goal by Cosmin Contra to tie Bayern in Munich! Luca Toni with the German club's goal but they missed several other good opportunities and in return they got burned with the late equaliser from Getafe. What a fantastic result by Getafe who now have to think beating Bayern at home is a real possibility!

Fiorentina jumped in front of PSV through Adrian Mutu but Danny Koevermans tied it up for PSV. And Sporting went to Glasgow and shutout Rangers. In all a great day for the away teams with a win and three ties. Zenit with the shock of the round by the margin of their road win while Getafe are showing the world they do mean business.
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Merengue
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Getafe began the game very nervously against Bayern and it looked like it could become a long night but when Bayern couldn't add to their goal total besides Toni's, Getafe regained their confidence and played a pretty good 2nd half, clinching the tie when Demichelis' clearance fell right to Contra and he intelligently chipped Kahn.

Amazingly there were four quarterfinals played in the UEFA Cup and 4 more in the Champions League and only one home team won in those eight games-Fenerbahce. So is the home field advantage overrated?
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gaviota
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Tremendous play from Getafe last night in Munich. Like Merengue said they began very nervously and had too much respect for Bayern but after getting over the initial nerves and thankfully for them only being down a goal, they settled down started passing the ball around well like they know how to and came back into the game, getting the tying goal late in the match. After watching Arsenal and Liverpool play in the Champions League with only 2 Englishman on the field it was good to see Getafe begin the match with 7 Spanish players and end it with even more. Getafe's success is an excellent story and in this era of mega wealthy clubs it is good to see a little team like them doing well.
CHAMP13NS
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valenciano
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Getafe absorbed a lot of pressure from Bayern Munich but they did grow in confidence as the game went along and Contra took the game tying goal well. It wasn't easy chipping the ball over Kahn and two defenders rushing back to cover. A very valuable goal returning home next week for game 2.

That's an incredible result too for Dick Advocaat's team Zenit in Leverkusen. This team hasn't gotten much publicity but they eliminated Villarreal, the current hot team in Spain, in an earlier round so they are shwing they are a team to watch in this UEFA Cup.
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