Bilbao, for Once Nationalist?

Everyone expects the same leg that is to say two ultra players for the semi-final Europa League scheduled for this Thursday night in the Basque Country in Bilbao between Lions and those of the Sporting Portugal. The first leg was a real delight for all who love the beautiful game and the action taken at a touch football. Both players will play for goals and with different challenges. The Portuguese will play to defend the honor of the rest of Europe in the Europa League. Spaniards to nationalize. The match live

The players of Athletic Bilbao are the sensation of this season on the world football and they intend to remain so, at least for some time yet. They receive, on Thursday at 9:05 p.m. in their lair of the Cathedral of San Mamés, the formation of Sporting Clube de Portugal to try to extract him from the competition. On the way, after a game fun and very rhythmic, Sporting had emerged victorious (2-1) but should not be satisfied with this small advantage gained on his lawn. The Basques will be keen to get through this round to confirm to Europe and the world that there is not that Barca and Real in Spain.

Challenge Spanish hegemony

Sporting are the votes. Portuguese Lions really like this cup and it suffers in their benefits. Untenable in the first leg, even against other top names in this competition, the people of Lisbon have eliminated Manchester City there are two rounds today and can leave Bilbao. All the while never denying the only football philosophy preached by their coach Ricardo Sa Pinto. Despite a meeting of high-flying, the Green and White were not really rewarded for their efforts. They eventually won but modestly (2-1), thus leaving the door wide open for a possible qualification of both sides.

In any case, they will do anything to prevent the Spaniards to conquer the "little Europe" by KO and they challenge the hegemony, even if it was not through the Sporting took last year when three clubs and one Spanish Lusitano had swept the semifinals of the C3.The final was then 100% Portuguese. Sporting, his fourth championship in six points in the third place, would love to win over Bilbao in the "Indian sign".

Indeed, the people of Lisbon, for their last European final, have come out losers in their duel against Russia's CSKA Moscow in 2005. They will build on the statistic that sees a team winning 2-1 at home to go to have 54% chance to qualify on their Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel (5 goals, C3) very restless last week, and Of course, Diego Capel who knows Bilbao. They must be very careful with the Basque group, an alloy of youth, passion and discipline through collective technician Marcelo Bielsa.

Bilbao only one who has not won the European Cup

On the way, exceptionally, the Basques were not the best on the field, but they showed a side we did not know at home: realism. As rarely dominated by the Sporting, Bielsa's men did came out as a bang for their young back Jon AURTENETXE. They will need to show something else. A simple goal could be enough to Leones provided of course that does not take. They may believe in their chances are as absolutely sovereign home since the start of the competition and hold the second best attack with 25 goals scored.

A final take them to my heart, the only ones who are among the semifinalists at not having won the European Cup, which seems paradoxical for a reputable team of cuts (they have 23 Cups King to their credit more than Real Madrid) and that of Spain will play again this year to face Barca. The team therefore does not stop there, and intends to move to "nationalize" the cut. They would then be candidates for a doubling in the cuts beautifully.