Comments
There are no comments.
Add Comments
Sevilla’s coach Unai Emery gestures during the press conference on the eve of the UEFA Champions League match.
AFP/Seville
Sevilla coach Unai Emery believes his side have to beat Premier League leaders Manchester City on Tuesday to have any chance of advancing to the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Europa League holders sit third in Group D, three points behind City, with Italian champions Juventus a point further clear at the top of the table.
“If we win tomorrow then City are catchable,” Emery said on Monday.
“If we draw we have a significant disadvantage, plus there is Juve there already with seven points.
“Therefore, tomorrow is decisive. If we want to have optimistic hopes of reaching the last 16 then winning is the only option we have.”
Emery questioned his side’s fight after they suffered a fourth defeat in 10 La Liga games this season at Villarreal on Saturday to slip to 11th in the table.
However, they have won their last 10 European games at home en route to winning back-to-back Europa League titles and three consecutive matches in La Liga at the Sanchez Pizjuan, including a 2-1 win over Barcelona last month.
“Tomorrow we are playing at the Sanchez Pizjuan and we have to continue with this consistency,” added Emery.
“It is a huge challenge, similar to that when we played Barcelona for the calibre of the opponent, the leaders of the Premier League, and it will take our best to overcome them.”
Sevilla were denied a deserved point away to City two weeks ago as Kevin de Bruyne’s injury time winner handed the English side a 2-1 win.
However, Spanish international Vitolo said that match has given Sevilla confidence they can inflict another painful European night upon City.
“I think in the first game you saw that we have a good team when we play for each other,” said the winger.
“We worked very hard and it is clear that we can make things even more difficult for them at home in front of our fans.
“In the past two years the success we have had has been based on us all running and fighting for the team above any individual.
“If we want to do great things we need to do the same. Work together and run for each other.”
Emery is hopeful of having influential Argentine midfielder Ever Banega fit after he missed Saturday’s defeat due to an ankle injury.
However, top scorer Kevin Gameiro misses out with a hamstring problem.
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
