Europa League – Match Preview: Sevilla versus Paris-Saint Germain (PSG)
What a downfall it has been for the Seville club, F.C Sevilla, from the elegant UEFA Champions League to the down to earth Europa league. Sevilla have had a torrid run of luck in the past couple of years, not that their players
aren’t good enough. The likes of Luis Fabiano, Kanoute, Capel and Jesus Navas are top quality athletes but the problem has always been with their managerial squad, people who decide what is to happen in a match. People, who make the choices with regard to
tactics, strategies and line ups have got it all wrong for Sevilla in the past two years.
Their start to the Spanish Primera Division campaign has not been a pretty one. Inconsistency has plagued and thus Antonio Alvraez’s team have been seen as the dark horses for this year’s Europa League. Sevilla will be looking
to get their season right back on track by starting off their European journey with a bang against Paris Saint Germain on Thursday.
Los Nervioneses, as Sevilla are known in their own Spanish language saw their qualification hopes for the UEFA Champions League competition after losing out to Braga. After the loss in the qualification stages of the UEFA Champions
League, they were rewarded with a place in the secondary tournament of European clubs also known as the Europa League. Many experts have criticized this approach by UEFA of having a two tier system in Europe which implies that UEFA Champions League is for
the elites like Barcelona and Manchester United whereas Europa league is a place where most Eastern European clubs take to battle.
Against Braga, Sevilla were absolutely woeful in defence, they lost to the Portuguese club in Portugal in the away leg of the counter and also were upstaged at their home ground of Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan by a score line of four
goals to three. Sevilla recovered their morale in time to claim an impressive opening day victory in the Spanish Primera League away to Levante. In the second fixture however, clouds of grey dust settled in again as the sorrowful atmosphere at Sanchez Pizjuan
stadium saw a nil all dull performance by the Andalucians against Deportivo La Coruna. Despite being favourites to win the match in question, Sevilla showed that they could not be banked upon when it came to expectations.
After the last weekends draw, Alvarez, Sevilla’s manager spoke to the media and made his thoughts clear. He emphasized that his team had performed well and deserved a victory and all three points rather than a draw. He went onto
add that on another day, Sevilla might have scored and got the win. Fans were obviously not happy with Antonio’s stance on the things at hand. Now as PSG approach Sevilla for the opening Europa league tie of their group, it will be interesting to see how the
crowd responds if things do go wrong on Thursday.
Paris Saint-Germain on the other hand have had a host of problems of their own. Ever since they sold Ronaldinho to Barcelona in early 2000s, the French club has seen several years of mediocrity. Finally after some years of sordid
absence, Paris’s most famous club is back in the big time. Paris kick off their journey against Sevilla and will be looking to take an advantage of the Spanish club’s volatile run of form.
Nonetheless, such a task is easier said than done and given the early season troubles that PSG are facing it is quite possible that the match in Spain can turn into a must win for their manager. Last weekend’s win over Arles Avignon
by a margin of four goals did provide some comfort for the anxious Les Parisiens but given the nature of the club’s first biggest European night in the past few years, fears are bound to come to the fore front again.
The match takes place at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, an unfamiliar turf for the French, if things to Sevilla’s way they have the potential to destroy the fragile PSG defence. Everything depends on what kind of form, Luis Fabiano and
Kanoute come up with. Regardless, the odds are stacked in the Spanish club’s favour.
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