UEFA Europa League Match Preview: Juventus versus SK Strum Graz
Juventus are all set to take on Strum Graz in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League qualifier against Strum Graz in Italy at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino, which is Juventus’s home stadium. The first leg of the two legged Europa League qualifier ended in defeat for Strum Graz as Juventus ended up as eventual winners of the match by a scoreline of two goals to one.
With the two away goals in bag, Juventus are all but through to the group stages of the Europa League. On the other hand their opponents Strum Graz have a tough job on their hand to score twice without reply at the Olympic stadium in Torino, Italy. Juventus are still striving to finely fit their squad together before the start of their Serie A league season on 28th of August, 2010. Juventus, who are colloquially known as Juve managed to secure Alberto Aquilani on a loan move from Liverpool in the English Premier League on Wednesday, 25th of August.
Juve’s star striker David Trezeguet is currently linked with a move away from the Torino club after it has been speculated that the former French international striker is linked with Liverpool. In the first leg of the play-off at the UPC-Arena, Amauri scored in injury time for the former Italian champions to secure the win that would see them take a one goal lead on aggregate to the second leg of the qualifier. The Italian giants have been on a decline in the past few years especially after the Italian league match fixing scandal in 2006, due to which they were relegated to the second division of Italian league football.
Juve’s new coach Luigi Delneri expressed his thoughts regarding his team’s performance in the first leg by telling the club’s official website that, Juventus must play confidently in the second leg. He said that the team suffered because of Strum Graz’s equalizer in the first leg match. It should be noted that the first leg of the qualifier was Juve’s first competitive match under their new Italian coach, so naturally the team is taking its time to gel and settle in as a proper footballing unit.
On the other hand, Strum Graz, Juventus’s opponents on the night are already well into their domestic league season as the Austrian giants have already played four league fixtures of the 2010-2011 Austrian Bundesliga season. However, Strum’s start to the new season has been difficult as they have only managed to obtain two wins and a draw from the few of the league’s opening fixtures. Franco Foda, who is Strum Graz’s manager will be looking at his team for a historic performance in Italy as they not only need to score twice against the typically tenacious Italian defence of Juventus but they also need to keep a clean sheet to make things easy for themselves.
Strum will no doubt be looking towards their star player, Gordon Schildenfeld to make things work for them. Juventus will be careful in writing off Strum’s challenge prematurely as the Austrians have some European history of their own. Strum have previously competed in the UEFA Champions League and the last time they did so, the Austrian behemoths were successful in progressing past the first group stage of the tournament. Nonetheless, that was over a decade ago for Foda’s men.
There are some selection worries for both the managers, as Delneri has to deal with the loss of Claudio Marchisio through suspension. He will also make to make do without the likes of Buffon and Iaquinta as the Italian due are sidelined with injuries. Conversely, Strum Graz will have to play without their long term injured player Mario Kienzl, other than that they have a completely fit squad to compete in the second leg of the play-off. Juventus are favourites to win the second leg against Strum Graz by at least a goals difference and seal their fate of qualification for the Europa League group stages.
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