Match Preview - UEFA Champions League Playoff round: Sporting Braga vs Sevilla
The second night of the UEFA Champions League Playoff Round is scheduled to take place tonight. Sevilla will be taking on Braga in a match that promises to be entertaining from the very first minute. The match will be played in Braga's home stadium, the Estadio AXA in Portugal. Braga will be looking to use the home advantage in their favour because the team is well aware of the fact that they have a giant task on their hands.
Whenever a Portuguese team has faced Spanish opponents, things have not always turned out so well for the Portuguese. Braga will be facing a very stern and stiff test when they take on Sevilla later on tonight. They will be going into the game knowing that the Sevilla side that they are going to be facing is currently in form and will be looking to go all out against the home team. Braga, who are managed by Domingos Paciencia, have already proved their worth previously when they dispatched of Scottish giants Celtic with ease. Braga will be heading into the match knowing that they can shock the world of football by causing a major upset by the end on the night.
Braga were brilliant last season and managed to use their form to take the number two position in the Portuguese top flight of football. They barely fell short of the current Portuguese champions, Benfica.
Braga will be raring to go after already having had two brilliant displays against Celtic and a three-one win in the opening game of the season for the team.
Sevilla also managed to get their new season off to a flying start. They thumped the Spanish Champions Barcelona by a score-line of three goals to one in the first leg of the Spanish Supercopa. With Valencia no longer being as competent as they used to be in the past, Sevilla have emerged to be the third best club in Spain. They are voted third only behind the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. When the team is having one of its good days, they can beat just about anyone.
Sevilla are most lethal upfront with their attacking options. They have Luis Fabiano, Frederic Kanoute, Jesus Navas and Romaric to threaten any defence that they face. Kanoute is a man who can't stop finding the back of the net for his team, while Fabiano has just started to pick up on his form. Navas, on the other hand, was part of Spain's World Cup winning side and will be looking to build on that form. Sevilla will be looking to make the group stages of the Champions League for the third year in a row, while Braga will be looking to make it through to their first ever Champions League group stage.
The key player for Braga will be their thirty year old forward, Paulo Cesar. Cesar has already found the back of the net more than a couple of times last season. He also scored the crucial goal away to Celtic that ultimately led to Braga succeeding against their much stronger opponents.
The man to watch for Sevilla is going to be none other than Frederic Kanoute. The Mali born player has been in form ever since he joined the club. He scored twice over the weekend against Barcelona and will be looking to do the same tonight. Kanoute is going to be playing one of his more important games, since his form could decide whether or not Sevilla will make it through to the next round.
According to experts, the game will be a close one but Sevilla might just edge past their opponents. If Sevilla manage to launch their quick counterattacks that they are known for, they could just sink all the home fans’ hearts tonight.
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