Preview: Sevilla have a one goal deficit to overturn
Sevilla will welcome Porto to Andalusia on Thursday night for yet another fascinating Europa League match. The Sevillistas gave their fans hope, after defeating Betis in the previous round in a penalty shootout. They will now be up against the current Portuguese champions, who have plenty of experience.
The Portuguese side was matched up with Napoli in the previous round; with a lot of football fans expecting the Italian’s to go through.
Rafa Benitez’s squad spent a significant amount of money in the off-season, but that was not enough to get past the Dragons. A victory at home and a draw away from Luis Castro’s squad earned them a spot into the quarterfinals, and they now take a one-goal advantage to Spain.
Porto struggled with inconsistencies throughout the season, but with the arrival of Luis Castro, they have managed to steady the ship. They have only lost twice in their last 10 matches in all competitions, setting up an exciting fixture on Thursday at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.
For Porto, they will be without Fernando and Jackson Martinez due to suspension. The Colombian striker is upset that he is unable to take part in this match, but he remains confident in his teammates of progressing to the next stage.
“It’s upsetting that I can’t be with my teammates, but I’m confident because they’ve waited for this opportunity, and they are going to do a great job,” Martinez said to Marca Radio.
“We can’t think about the final, not even on the next round. Sevilla are a great club, and no one should think they are already eliminated. Porto is going to start strong, and who ever doesn’t have possession of the ball is going to struggle.”
Sevilla manager Unai Emery will not care who takes Martinez’s spot in the Porto attack, he just wants to make sure the visitors do not score.
“Our first strategy is to make sure Porto doesn’t score,” Emery told reporters on Wednesday. “We are prepared to score early, as well as late in the match. Don’t think it is possible to win this elimination in just twenty minutes. It’s not possible. We will have to be patient.”
“Porto was the stronger side in the first match, and we need to change that on Thursday. We have 90 minutes to do that, or more, we shall see.”
Having won their last domestic match against Espanyol, the Sevilla players will be more confident. Previously, they had lost two consecutive matches, with one coming against Porto.
After their 0-2 defeat at home in the first leg against Betis, Los Rojiblancos are really going to need to focus for the full 90 minutes on Thursday night. Porto has proven that they can win home and away. Needing to score a goal, Sevilla could get caught on the break, but the deciding factor could be how well Fernando and Jackson Martinez’s replacements perform.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Sevilla vs Porto live on Thursday, April 10, 2014:
In Canada at 15:05 ET on: Sportsnet One
In the UK at 20:05 BST on: ITV 4
In the USA at 15:05 ET on: SiriusXM FC, Directv, Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Soccer 2Go »live stream
After winning their last Europa League match in epic fashion, you will not want to miss this one. Fans in Portugal can watch live on Sport TV1, while in Spain, Gol Stadium, TeleCinco Espana and GOL T will bring you all the action.
If you are outside these viewing areas, be sure to visit the Sevilla vs Porto match page for full TV listings.
