Group G Preview (Oct. 20)
Rangers vs Unirea Urziceni
The two bottom feeders of group G are set to face off on Tuesday although I think it is unlikely either of them will go through to the next round. So, in essence, it is a fight for the Europa Cup spot.
Rangers have been in absolutely horrendous form of late and need a win to boost their confidence. Unirea’s manager has added to that pressure by claiming it will be a “disaster” for Rangers if they fail to beat his Unirea side tomorrow.
The next two matches between those sides, while not boasting the glamour or entertainment value of some of the other fixtures are make or break for the respective clubs and their supporters.
Player to Watch:
Spaniard Nacho Novo has the Ranger’s only goal in the competition thus far and will be a dangerous presence, whether off the bench or starting.
Match Prediction:
I think there is very little between these two sides. Both will be desperate to keep out the goals so I am going to predict a 0-0 draw.
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Sevilla vs VfB Stuttgart:
Fabiano has been on fire so far in the Champions League
I do not think this result will affect their play and they should have a relatively easy time of it against Stuttgart who only have 2 wins in the Bundesliga this year. This has led to growing pressure on manager Markus Babbel who insists he is not feeling it.
“I don’t feel any pressure at all,” he said. “This is far more like an attractive challenge for me.
“I cannot expect my players to show passion and fight if I am considering my own job.
“I am convinced that we are heading in the right direction and that is not just something I say, it is something I am truly convinced about.”
His job security may have gotten a boost as Sevilla will be missing four of their regulars for the match. Renato, Andres Palop and Abdoulay Konko were all ruled out over the weekend and they were today joined on the sidelines by in form Spain striker Alvaro Negredo.
This still leaves Babbel with the problem of shutting down Kanoute and Fabiano. The latter is fresh having missed Sevilla’s weekend loss.
Player to Watch:
Luis Fabiano is one of the top performers so far in the Champions League with 2 goals and 3 assists in his side’s first two games.
Match Prediction:
I predict another game in the loss column for Stuttgart. Sevilla are too good a side at the moment. I predict a 3-1 game for Sevilla.
Play Beautiful!
