UEFA Cup Semi-finals

Should be a cracking pair of games tomorrow, the Bremen-Espanyol one more so than Osasuna-Sevilla. Let's hope both are more like the Tuesday CL match rather than today's match.

Osasuna v. Sevilla
Espanyol v. Bremen

Seville v Werder final; Diego scores a wonder goal, Kanoute equalises, Alves dives in the last minute and wins Seville another dodgy penalty and Kanoute wins it, it is written in the stars

I hope that whoever wins the all Spanish semi goes on to win it. Werder are a huge threat and I suppose the dream final would be the Germans against the Sevilla, worthy contenders against the side looking to defend the title for the first time since, was it Madrid, in the '80's?

I would also like to see Osasuna go through and win the tournament in a way though. They deserve it after the way they took apart Leverkusen in the last round.

So who is everyone backing tonight? I am looking forward to these two games more than I was the games from the last two nights - yet again.

Sevilla/Bremen.

I think Espanyol can draw blood tonight with some goals but Werder should be good enough to score an away goal or two of their own to take back to Bremen.

Osasuna-Sevilla I can only see one winner unfortunately. If I had to guess I'd say Osasuna will try their physical game at home today, maybe get a 0-0 or a narrow win and try to hold on or score a counter-attacking goal in Seville.

Please, Bremen in the final!

Worst football nightmare is:

2 English sides in the CL final and
2 Spanish sides in the UEFA Cup Final!

2007 will be remembered then as the worst year ever in European football...

Ricardo Jol wrote:Please, Bremen in the final!

Worst football nightmare is:

2 English sides in the CL final and
2 Spanish sides in the UEFA Cup Final!

2007 will be remembered then as the worst year ever in European football...

even if the finals aren't much cop there's been plenty of good games. i'm sure there's been worse years...

I will be watching the Espanyol - Werder game. The other one doesn't have this European feel about it, which I suppose you can only get when two teams from different countries meet.

I'll be wishing los Perriquitos well.

good luck to Bremen

I'll be out when its on, but i'll be checking the scores.

Too much Cr@p went on off the pitch for us in the last week. I seriously hope that our players will fully concentrate on the match, that should be difficult enough.

I hate the gutter press.

blutgraetsche wrote:Too much Cr@p went on off the pitch for us in the last week. I seriously hope that our players will fully concentrate on the match, that should be difficult enough.

I hate the gutter press.

I am sure that they are used to it..

I think every neutral wants a Bremen V Sevilla final - they both play the most entertaining football + no one really wants an all Spanish final

Tweedle wrote:I think every neutral wants a Bremen V Sevilla final - they both play the most entertaining football + no one really wants an all Spanish final

As much as I think that the Pericos could use a bit of success I agree that the dream would be Sevilla v Bremen..

so, Tweedle, no one wants an all English final in the CL either?

toon h wrote:so, Tweedle, no one wants an all English final in the CL either?

I've said, the final should have been Man Utd v Milan.

I always like their to be different teams from different countries, HOWEVER this season I kinda want utd to win it, purely because they've been playing the best football + it would end some of the Rooney bashing. Andl also it would make it very interesting if there was the whole Utd V Chelsea showdown - so this year its tough for me.

A usual season though, I'd be supporting Milan to go through, the draws played against me this time though

I'm going for Osasuna; lot's of ex-madridistas there Valdo, Juanfran, Soldado...Sevilla won it last year so anyone else winning it is fine with me.

I'm backing Osasuna and Bremen.

On the one hand, I hope Espanyol beat Werder but on the other hand, I agree with Tweedle, that a final between teams from two different countries is much more interesting.

toon h wrote:On the one hand, I hope Espanyol beat Werder but on the other hand, I agree with Tweedle, that a final between teams from two different countries is much more interesting.

On the other hand, there's always the risk that the team from your nation will lose - like last season.

At least with two, you know that one will be successful.

But history has shown us that same nation finals are never much of a spectacle

Tweedle wrote:

toon h wrote:On the one hand, I hope Espanyol beat Werder but on the other hand, I agree with Tweedle, that a final between teams from two different countries is much more interesting.

But history has shown us that same nation finals are never much of a spectacle

Here we are on the same line Tweedleleedee...

Ricardo Jol wrote:

Tweedle wrote:

toon h wrote:On the one hand, I hope Espanyol beat Werder but on the other hand, I agree with Tweedle, that a final between teams from two different countries is much more interesting.

But history has shown us that same nation finals are never much of a spectacle

Here we are on the same line Tweedleleedee...

Its just pity that one of Chelsea and Liverpoo has to go through

If the semi's were Milan V Liverpool and Chelsea V Utd we'd have been sorted.

Milan could have got their revenge and Utd could have beaten Chelsea just so that we could have seen mourinho strop. again.

Oleguerisntthatgreat wrote:
I am sure that they are used to it..

I hope you are right. I'm actually quite nervous myself because of this.

I'm off watching the match. Come on Werder!

COME ON OSASUNA!

My order of preference for the final would have to be....

1) Sevilla vs Werder
2) Sevilla vs Espanyol
3) Osasuna vs Espnayol
4) Osasuna vs Werder

The stadium is far from full, you'd have thought that they would have reduced the ticket prices.

Montjuic is never full. It's the best crowd of the season though (45K).

Espanyol and full stadium don;t really go together though Tweedle, they don't even fill it for the Barcelona derby. I would have thought around 35,000 will attend tonight though.

toon h wrote:Montjuic is never full. It's the best crowd of the season though (45K).

Ah okay, 45 is very good, even surprisingly high! It holds around 55,000?

indeed. TBH, if they can't get excited over a European semi-final, they might as well close the shop.