Match Previews
Uefa Cup
Round Qual 2 (2)
Thu 28 August 2008 17:15
Referee
Sten Kaldma (Estonia)
Weather at KO
Travel Info
Distance
NK Zrinjski
Last updated: Wed 30 November -0001 00:00Trying to recover a 1-0 disadvantage from the 1st leg at Braga... Coach Dragan Jovic with a lot of faith on players like attacking midfielder Mladen Zizovic (k) and striker Matija Matko (k)... Team coming from a 1-2 Saturday league win... Captain and centre-back Mario Ivankovic (r) is suspended but defender Stanisa Nikolic (r) is back from injury... Zrinjski have played 3 league games so far and they won twice. The last victory happened last Saturday as they won 1-2 at bottom placed side Travnik. The scorers were Kordic and Matko, who is, perhaps, the best player of the team. He wears the #8 and he's the starting striker. Zrinjski lost 1-0 in the first leg of the round, at Braga, but now coach Dragan Jovic will have to use a different kind of approach, as they can't be so defensive (and they actually knew how to defend) as they were two weeks ago against the Portuguese outfit. Ball possession is essential, now. Before meeting Braga at the 2nd qualifying round, the Bosnian club from Mostar beat Vaduz (Liechtenstein) twice. In the first leg at Braga, goalkeeper Melher was one of the best on the pitch, with several good saves avoiding Braga's goal. Centre attacking midfielder Zizovic (#18) also showed some quality and proved why he was already twice considered the best player at Bosnia: he's also the one who usually takes penalty-kicks. Centre-back/captain Ivankovic's suspension is the biggest setback for coach Dragan Jovic as he usually provides some calm and serenity. We are still not 100% sure about his replacement but Sunjic, who is tall and lacks a lot on agility, will quite certainly start. Zurzinov had a bright display at Braga when he played as right-back but this time he might be playing on the left side of defence, allowing Susic to enter as right-back. To partner Sunjic in the centre-back it should be Nikolic, who was absent on the first leg due to injury. Serdarusic will be the midfield with more defensive tasks. This Zrinjski team is not so weak as they might appear to be. They know how to treat the ball so Braga's task won't be that easy.
SC Braga
Last updated: Wed 30 November -0001 00:00Arsenalists in good form, with 3 wins in the last 3 official games... Managing a 1-0 win from the first leg... Attacking midfielder Márcio Mossoró (sp) (back from league suspension) and midfielder Stélvio (sp) (after a 23 days stoppage due to knee injury) are part of the 19 players' call-up... Defensive midfielder Frechaut (r) suspended... Midfielder Vandinho (sp) is a confirmed absentee due to a thigh injury... Coach and players are unhappy with the ball of the game... Braga are in good form at this moment and they are clearly favourites to beat Zrinjski on this round. The Arsenalists have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg (goal scored by Austrian striker Roland Linz) and after that they already won two other official games: one for the League Cup (with a 4-0 home victory over Leixões) and the most recent one, last Saturday, for the League, with a 0-2 victory at Paços de Ferreira. Attacking midfielder/second forward Márcio Mossoró was suspended in the last game against Paços de Ferreira so now he's available, which makes Jorge Jesus's side even stronger regarding the team's offensive options. Coach and players are unhappy with the Nike ball that is going to be used at Mostar. If things are quite promising on attack, they get worse when we talk about the defensive zone. Defensive midfielder Frechaut (suspension) and also versatile midfielder Vandinho (thigh injury) are both out of this game so coach Jorge Jesus will have to improvise. Midfielder Stélvio Cruz returns after being out of training for 23 days due to a knee injury and coach Jorge Jesus confirmed he will be on the starting eleven, albeit his eventual lack of match practice. This means the Peruvian defender Alberto Rodríguez won't have to do a makeshift role as anchor, as he should partner Moisés as centre-back. Both Moisés and André Leone are not physically 100% and they have trained with some cautions. But as the team really need them now they have to play (centre-back Paulo Jorge is injured, too), no matter what their physical circumstances are (it will probably be Moisés to start). Jorge Jesus has got a considerable squad depth and, according to the recent training sessions, he's preparing to use Paulo César upfront together with Meyong, relegating Roland Linz to the bench. That means the team will be betting a little bit more on the wing depth. Moreover, Paulo César is motivated with his recent goal scored at Paços de Ferreira. In 5 official games, goalkeeper Eduardo didn't concede any goal.
Doubtful (chance of availability)
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Doubtful (chance of availability)
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Probable Starting 11
4-2-3-1 Previous Line Ups
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Melher | |||
| Mateo Susic | |||
| Stanisa Nikolic | |||
| Toni Sunjic | |||
| Igor Zurzinov | |||
| Velibor Djuric | |||
| Ante Serdarusic | |||
| Vernes Selimovic | |||
| Mladen Zizovic | |||
| Danijel Stojanovic | |||
| Matija Matko |
4-4-2 Previous Line Ups
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Carvalho | |||
| Joao P. Pereira | |||
| Moises | |||
| Alberto Rodriguez | |||
| Evaldo | |||
| Alan Silva | |||
| Stelvio Cruz | |||
| Luis Aguiar | |||
| Cesar Peixoto | |||
| Meyong | |||
| Paulo Cesar |
Probable Bench
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Budimir | |||
| Ivan Bubalo | |||
| Predrag Juric | |||
| Marin A. Anicic | |||
| Kresimir Kordic | |||
| Miomir Vukovic |
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawel Kieszek | |||
| Filipe Oliveira | |||
| Andre Leone | |||
| Marcio Mossoro | |||
| Jorginho Sousa | |||
| Matheus | |||
| Orlando Sa | |||
| Roland Linz |
Transfer in
- Eduardo (goalkeeper, Braga), Mário Felgueiras (goalkeeper, Portimonense), André Leone (centre-back, Goiás), Evaldo (left-back, MarÃtimo), Filipe Oliveira (right-back, Leixões), Moisés (centre-back, Boavista), Luis Aguiar (attacking midfielder, Académica), Alan (winger, Guimarães), Paulo César (forward, Leiria), Márcio Mossoró (attacker, MarÃtimo), Meyong (forward, Belenenses), Wason Renteria (forward, Strasbourg)
Transfer out
- Paulo Santos (r) (goalkeeper), Dani Mallo (sp) (goalkeeper), Pablo Contreras (sp) (defender/anchor, PAOK), Carlos Fernandes (r) (left-back, MarÃtimo), Breno Silva (centre-back), Miguelito (sp) (left-back, MarÃtimo), Roberto Brum (sp) (defensive midfielder), Zé Manel (sp) (right-winger, Leixões), João Tomás (striker)
Probable Starting 11
Probable Bench
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Budimir | |||
| Ivan Bubalo | |||
| Predrag Juric | |||
| Marin A. Anicic | |||
| Kresimir Kordic | |||
| Miomir Vukovic |
SC Braga
Last updated: Wed 30 November -0001 00:00Arsenalists in good form, with 3 wins in the last 3 official games... Managing a 1-0 win from the first leg... Attacking midfielder Márcio Mossoró (sp) (back from league suspension) and midfielder Stélvio (sp) (after a 23 days stoppage due to knee injury) are part of the 19 players' call-up... Defensive midfielder Frechaut (r) suspended... Midfielder Vandinho (sp) is a confirmed absentee due to a thigh injury... Coach and players are unhappy with the ball of the game... Braga are in good form at this moment and they are clearly favourites to beat Zrinjski on this round. The Arsenalists have a 1-0 advantage from the first leg (goal scored by Austrian striker Roland Linz) and after that they already won two other official games: one for the League Cup (with a 4-0 home victory over Leixões) and the most recent one, last Saturday, for the League, with a 0-2 victory at Paços de Ferreira. Attacking midfielder/second forward Márcio Mossoró was suspended in the last game against Paços de Ferreira so now he's available, which makes Jorge Jesus's side even stronger regarding the team's offensive options. Coach and players are unhappy with the Nike ball that is going to be used at Mostar. If things are quite promising on attack, they get worse when we talk about the defensive zone. Defensive midfielder Frechaut (suspension) and also versatile midfielder Vandinho (thigh injury) are both out of this game so coach Jorge Jesus will have to improvise. Midfielder Stélvio Cruz returns after being out of training for 23 days due to a knee injury and coach Jorge Jesus confirmed he will be on the starting eleven, albeit his eventual lack of match practice. This means the Peruvian defender Alberto Rodríguez won't have to do a makeshift role as anchor, as he should partner Moisés as centre-back. Both Moisés and André Leone are not physically 100% and they have trained with some cautions. But as the team really need them now they have to play (centre-back Paulo Jorge is injured, too), no matter what their physical circumstances are (it will probably be Moisés to start). Jorge Jesus has got a considerable squad depth and, according to the recent training sessions, he's preparing to use Paulo César upfront together with Meyong, relegating Roland Linz to the bench. That means the team will be betting a little bit more on the wing depth. Moreover, Paulo César is motivated with his recent goal scored at Paços de Ferreira. In 5 official games, goalkeeper Eduardo didn't concede any goal.
Doubtful (chance of availability)
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- ---
Probable Starting 11
4-4-2
Previous Line Ups
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Carvalho | |||
| Joao P. Pereira | |||
| Moises | |||
| Alberto Rodriguez | |||
| Evaldo | |||
| Alan Silva | |||
| Stelvio Cruz | |||
| Luis Aguiar | |||
| Cesar Peixoto | |||
| Meyong | |||
| Paulo Cesar |
Probable Bench
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawel Kieszek | |||
| Filipe Oliveira | |||
| Andre Leone | |||
| Marcio Mossoro | |||
| Jorginho Sousa | |||
| Matheus | |||
| Orlando Sa | |||
| Roland Linz |
Transfer in
- Eduardo (goalkeeper, Braga), Mário Felgueiras (goalkeeper, Portimonense), André Leone (centre-back, Goiás), Evaldo (left-back, MarÃtimo), Filipe Oliveira (right-back, Leixões), Moisés (centre-back, Boavista), Luis Aguiar (attacking midfielder, Académica), Alan (winger, Guimarães), Paulo César (forward, Leiria), Márcio Mossoró (attacker, MarÃtimo), Meyong (forward, Belenenses), Wason Renteria (forward, Strasbourg)
Transfer out
- Paulo Santos (r) (goalkeeper), Dani Mallo (sp) (goalkeeper), Pablo Contreras (sp) (defender/anchor, PAOK), Carlos Fernandes (r) (left-back, MarÃtimo), Breno Silva (centre-back), Miguelito (sp) (left-back, MarÃtimo), Roberto Brum (sp) (defensive midfielder), Zé Manel (sp) (right-winger, Leixões), João Tomás (striker)
Key
Key players
Regular players
Support players
75% - Chance of availability
Artificial Pitch
Universal Player Grid
Squad Confirmed
Played in Cup fixture
New Information
Team Strength*
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Just Adequate
Poor
*Based on Available Players