Previews

Fulham face classy Shakhtar

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 18/02/2010
Football betting

Liverpool and Fulham are ready to get their European adventures underway again when the mid-winter break comes to a close on Thursday when the Europa League returns.

Rafael Benitez's Liverpool gained entry to Europe's secondary club competition after their dismal Champions League showing earlier in the season.

In contrast, Fulham performed admirably, coming through a tough group that consisted of Italy's AS Roma and Switzerland's FC Basel.

The Cottagers needed a win against the Swiss outfit in the final round of fixtures and they duly obliged with Bobby Zamora scoring twice and Zoltan Gera also netting in a 3-2 win.

Roy Hodgson will have been pleased with his team's progress but would have preferred not to have been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 32.

The classy Ukrainian outfit won the trophy last year, defeating German club Werder Bremen 2-1 in extra-time in the Istanbul showpiece and will pose Fulham a massive test at Craven Cottage.

With Mircea Lucescu's side likely to feature Ilsinho, Darijo Srna, Jadson, Fernandinho and Razvan Rat, the Premier League side will be taking on a side that combines flair and guile in abundance.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have landed a more friendly tie after being paired with Unirea Urziceni, who are coached by former Chelsea full-back Dan Petrescu.

The Romanian minnows also dropped out of the Champions League after finishing third in their group, being eliminated on the final match-day by a resurgent Stuttgart side managed by Christian Gross.

But it is perhaps scant reward for their endeavours and Liverpool are rightly overwhelming sportsbook favourites to land a crushing first-leg lead at Anfield.

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The Merseysiders love their European nights and the first-leg affair is likely to stir the memories of the fans who will look back at previous glory days.

They will need Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres fit and firing if they are to progress to the latter stages of the competition that they won during the 2000-01 campaign.

Elsewhere Dutch giants Ajax take on Juventus in what is a re-run of the 1996 Champions League final.

Valencia face an awkward trip to Belgium as they take on Club Brugge and fellow Spanish side Villarreal welcome current German champions Wolfsburg to Estadio El Madrigal.

FC Twente, managed by former England boss Steve McClaren, look forward last season's beaten finalists Werder Bremen coming to their De Grolsch Veste stadium.

Panathinaikos take on AS Roma while Galatasaray make the trip to the Spanish capital as they lock horns with Atletico Madrid.

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