|
MIDDLESBROUGH v LITEX LOVECH MATCH PREVIEW
Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup opponents have not had the best preparation for tonight's final group game. Team Coach Ljupko Petrovic had his car stolen, meaning he arrived late at Sofia airport, subsequently delaying the team's flight to England.
As for the Litex team, there is only player missing, the suspended defender Robert Popov. Petrovic is also boosted by the return of experienced defender Rosen Kirilov and the versatile Zhivko Zhelev.
This is Litex's first ever match in England and they appear to be in confident mood. Goalkeeper Vitomir Vutov told Sky Sports: "We will go for the win. We must be calm and fully focused. Middlesbrough are very strong in attack and we must be very careful."
Mihail Madanski, the Litex Assistant coach agreed, saying: "There is no pressure on us as we are through, but there is still a lot to play for. We want to finish as high as possible in the group and we will go there for a win. If we finish second, a good draw for us on Friday will be a pairing against FC Thun or Rosenborg. If we finish third, then I hope we play VfB Stuttgart."
A 2-0 win over Litex would be enough for Boro to stay top and fend of Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar. As covered in a previous article, Boro will be fielding a youthful side, with several big guns available on the bench.
There are reports that Emanuel Pogatetz has joined his colleagues in the treatment room with a groin injury and is now sidelined but there is no official confirmation of this at the time of writing.
BACK TO LITEX LOVECH MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX |
|
|
|
