Analysis of the Europa League (part two)
- James M.
- Dec 24, 2016
- 4 min read
The only surprising thing with football is that it never stops churning surprises!
Yes, we are used to surprises, but not when they come in gigantic proportions.
The Europa League shelled out enough surprises and emotions to football fans all over the globe after the draw held in Nyon.
The result was a bevy of knockout ties that promise to go a distance.
Villarreal vs. AS Roma is an ideal match – a feast for our eyes.
Furthermore, El Madrigal is a tricky ground as football managers will attest.
The Yellow Submarine knows that this is their chance to shine in Europe, and Fran Escribá will impact confidence on his lads.
As a result, prepare to see huge masses of yellow scenes at the El Madrigal when Villarreal host AS Roma.
Likewise, expect the tifosi to chant expletives directed towards the travelling fans at the intimidating Stadio Olympico.
While Villarreal has always been viewed as a small but relatively successful club in the Spanish La Liga, AS Roma has always been depicted a giant within European football history.
It was during Manuel Pellegrini’s reign that Villarreal really challenged Europe’s elites before bowing out after a defeat to Arsenal in the semi finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Legia Warsaw vs. Ajax is potentially a cracker! The Polish side can cause huge upsets as evidenced by the way they forced their way into the Europa League in a Champions League group that had the likes of Real Madrid.
On the other side, Ajax aren’t push overs either – the Eredivisie side is a club with much history and a mere mention of their legends could provoke a footballing blueprint with Legia Warsaw being the casualties.
Celta Vigo vs. Shakhtar Donetsk is one match that promises to be more than lively.
Shakhtar Donetsk has had major achievements in the competition – they won it in 2009 to become the first team from independent Ukraine (after the dissolution of USSR) to win it.
Although the violence and conflict within the region has led to the team briefly abandoning the Donbass Arena for Arena Lviv, Shakhtar Donetsk’s influence and depth can’t be underestimated.
The team has churned great talents; captain Darijo Srna, Henrikh Mkhitaryan – currently at Manchester United, Fernandinho – currently at Manchester City, Douglas Costa – currently at Bayern Munich, Willian – currently at Chelsea, Anatoliy Tymoschuk – former Bayern’s lynchpin, Luiz Adriano and Alex Teixeira.
Celta Vigo themselves cannot be underrated – the Spanish outfit has caused even embarrassed Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga by thrashing them.
Athletic Bilbao vs. APOEL provides us with a chance to witness a modern-day David vs. Goliath clash.
Athletic Bilbao – one of the three clubs never to have been relegated from Spanish La Liga, has a policy that ensures that the club nurtures only talents from the Basque region.
The cantera policy entirely aims at promoting the talents of the region as well as enlisting top Basque footballers from other clubs.
Currently, the first team has no other player except those from the Basque region.
APOEL Nicosia on the other hand are a modest outfit from Cyprus.
While they are relatively unknown as compared to Bilbao, APOEL can cause a huge upset by frustrating or even humiliating the Spaniards.
Anderlecht face off with Zenit in a match that could very well decide the fate of the Belgians early on.
Even though Anderlecht have produced some stars in the past, they have not been able to translate that into results.
Currently, Anderlecht are not in the form of their lives as shown by their diffident performances in the Belgian League.
Zenit has gradually become a force to reckon with in the European football setting – the Russians have challenged the dominance of the established clubs and in the process showcased what they can do.
Astra vs. Genk promises to be one mouth-watering clash as the Romanians entertain the Belgians.
Romanian football has for ages been characterized by scandals and endless claims of match-fixing.
Astra are themselves not blameless as they have been deducted points in the Romanian League due to scandalous allegations that point towards match-fixing.
As a result, Astra may be seeking to challenge in Europe because they have no chance whatsoever in the Romanian domestic league.
On their part, Genk could very well complicate the progression of Astra into the round of 16.
Genk have a potential to cause mayhem in Europa League, as their unheralded displays have been underrated for a while now.
Ludogorets Razgrad vs. FC Copenhagen is a clash that can very easily tilt towards any of the team.
In particular, Ludogorets Razgrad could upset the norm and shock us.
Despite not having star names and having to operate within a constricted budget as compared to top European teams, the Bulgarian outfit can’t be really underrated.
The team’s humble portrayal can be depicted by the fact that anarchy and mayhem were brewing when they threatened to demolish Arsenal during the group stages of the Champions League.
Having secure their place in the round of 32 means that Ludogorets Razgrad are not to be underrated.
On the other hand, FC Copenhagen can pose a real threat as evidenced by their form in the Danish League.
The Danish outfit is yet to lose a match so far in the domestic league.
FC Copenhagen’s intimidating stadium usually sets the tone for the tempo of their team as fans rally their players with breathtaking rhythm and passion.
Expect nothing short of an entertaining tie! Olympiacos vs. Osmanlıspor is a clash that have a potential to stir controversy as a result of the countries involved.
Olympiacos is from Greece while Osmanlispor is from Turkey.
These two countries have different convictions as regards religious affiliations; Greece is predominantly Christian while Turkey is Muslim-dominated.
This background sets the stage for the eliciting of emotions between both sets of fans.
Expect tension when both teams clash; Christian chants will greet Osmanlispor when they visit Greece while Olympiacos will have to deal with endless Muslim pronouncements when they pay a visit to Turkey.
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