Galatasaray roots for Benfica as UEFA Cup groups wrap up
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Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 18, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkish champion Galatasaray is atop the Group B of the UEFA Cup with nine points in four games, but its position may change without the team even taking the field. If second-place Metalist beats Benfica tonight, the Istanbul side will slip to runner-up on the last day of the group stages. Hertha plays at Olympiacos for the third spot of the group.
Galatasaray will not be on the pitch but its fate in the UEFA Cup’s Group B will be sealed tonight.
The Turkish champion has collected nine points in its four games in the competition, helping it to top its group. However, it has to wait through tonight’s game between Benfica and Metalist Kharkiv to see if it will win the group.
After beating Olympiacos and Benfica in its first two games, Galatasaray’s successful run was hit by an unexpected defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Metalist Kharkiv, who was the second team to qualify, but the Lions recovered from that loss beating Hertha Berlin to clinch a berth in the round of the last 32 in the UEFA Cup.
Galatasaray expect Benfica to be unbeaten in the clash against the Ukrainians so that it can win the group.
More than prestige
Topping the group brings more than just prestige as group winners get to avoid the teams that enter the competition in the next round having been eliminated from the Champions League.
Considering some quality teams such as Fiorentina, Marseille, Bordeaux and last year’s UEFA Cup winner, Zenit St. Petersburg, all took third spots in their Champions League groups to qualify for the UEFA Cup, it is hugely important for Galatasaray to top Group B.
In the other Group B clash, Olympiacos welcomes Hertha Berlin in a game where the winner will take third place in the group.
Former winners Sevilla and Tottenham could ease through to the next round of the UEFA Cup on the day when the group stage concludes or just as easily slump out of the competition.
Both need a point from their final matches to make sure of a spot in the next round, but an unpopular format that allows three of the five teams from each group to progress means that they could also go through if they lose if other results go their way.
Unforeseen consequences
That can lead to teams taking things for granted, with unforeseen consequences. Such are the uncertainties facing several clubs when they play tonight. The safest thing to do seems to be to go for the win and hope for the best.
Sevilla, which is third in the Spanish League and won the UEFA Cup in 2006 and '07, has won two of its first three Group C matches but will be out if it loses at Sampdoria and Stuttgart beats already qualified Standard Liege.
Similarly, Tottenham has to avoid defeat against visiting Spartak Moscow or a victory for NEC Nijmegen over Group D leader Udinese could dump the two-time champion out of the competition.
Tottenham is in good form with nine wins in 13 matches since Harry Redknapp succeeded Juande Ramos as coach, but a string of injuries is plaguing the London team.
Redknapp said he will have to put teenage midfielders John Bostock and Dean Parratt in his squad, while he may again have to field a patched up defense if captain Ledley King needs to sit out the match. The injury problems have shown how wrong Ramos was not to register Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha, Hossam Ghaly, Adel Taarabt and Kevin-Prince Boateng for the tournament. Redknapp reinstated the quintet to his Premier League squad shortly after arriving.
"Those five aren't in the UEFA Cup squad, so I've got kids out of the youth team because you have to have so many homegrown players in your squad," Redknapp said. "Every manager says their squad is stretched but if I hadn't brought the five back that were cast aside when I came here, we'd be desperate. We need some cover when we have injuries. You need a squad."
Manchester City and Twente have already qualified from Group A, but Germany’s Schalke 04 will hope that they will not be too complacent when they play tonight. Schalke has completed its group games with four points, and will be anxious until the final whistles blow in France and Spain tonight. If either Paris St. Germain or Racing Santander, who play Twente and Manchester City respectively, win tonight, that will be the end of competition for the German side.
The Turkish champion has collected nine points in its four games in the competition, helping it to top its group. However, it has to wait through tonight’s game between Benfica and Metalist Kharkiv to see if it will win the group.
After beating Olympiacos and Benfica in its first two games, Galatasaray’s successful run was hit by an unexpected defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Metalist Kharkiv, who was the second team to qualify, but the Lions recovered from that loss beating Hertha Berlin to clinch a berth in the round of the last 32 in the UEFA Cup.
Galatasaray expect Benfica to be unbeaten in the clash against the Ukrainians so that it can win the group.
More than prestige
Topping the group brings more than just prestige as group winners get to avoid the teams that enter the competition in the next round having been eliminated from the Champions League.
Considering some quality teams such as Fiorentina, Marseille, Bordeaux and last year’s UEFA Cup winner, Zenit St. Petersburg, all took third spots in their Champions League groups to qualify for the UEFA Cup, it is hugely important for Galatasaray to top Group B.
In the other Group B clash, Olympiacos welcomes Hertha Berlin in a game where the winner will take third place in the group.
Former winners Sevilla and Tottenham could ease through to the next round of the UEFA Cup on the day when the group stage concludes or just as easily slump out of the competition.
Both need a point from their final matches to make sure of a spot in the next round, but an unpopular format that allows three of the five teams from each group to progress means that they could also go through if they lose if other results go their way.
Unforeseen consequences
That can lead to teams taking things for granted, with unforeseen consequences. Such are the uncertainties facing several clubs when they play tonight. The safest thing to do seems to be to go for the win and hope for the best.
Sevilla, which is third in the Spanish League and won the UEFA Cup in 2006 and '07, has won two of its first three Group C matches but will be out if it loses at Sampdoria and Stuttgart beats already qualified Standard Liege.
Similarly, Tottenham has to avoid defeat against visiting Spartak Moscow or a victory for NEC Nijmegen over Group D leader Udinese could dump the two-time champion out of the competition.
Tottenham is in good form with nine wins in 13 matches since Harry Redknapp succeeded Juande Ramos as coach, but a string of injuries is plaguing the London team.
Redknapp said he will have to put teenage midfielders John Bostock and Dean Parratt in his squad, while he may again have to field a patched up defense if captain Ledley King needs to sit out the match. The injury problems have shown how wrong Ramos was not to register Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha, Hossam Ghaly, Adel Taarabt and Kevin-Prince Boateng for the tournament. Redknapp reinstated the quintet to his Premier League squad shortly after arriving.
"Those five aren't in the UEFA Cup squad, so I've got kids out of the youth team because you have to have so many homegrown players in your squad," Redknapp said. "Every manager says their squad is stretched but if I hadn't brought the five back that were cast aside when I came here, we'd be desperate. We need some cover when we have injuries. You need a squad."
Manchester City and Twente have already qualified from Group A, but Germany’s Schalke 04 will hope that they will not be too complacent when they play tonight. Schalke has completed its group games with four points, and will be anxious until the final whistles blow in France and Spain tonight. If either Paris St. Germain or Racing Santander, who play Twente and Manchester City respectively, win tonight, that will be the end of competition for the German side.