Steaua Bucharest v Middlesbrough match programme | Steaua v Boro

TOUGH TASK FOR BORO IN BUCHAREST 20-4-06
By David John of Betting Zone

It is quite possible that Middlesbrough have their name on the UEFA Cup this season after their heroics in the quarter-final second leg against Basle.

And I have a feeling they might have to do it the hard way again following their trip to Steaua Bucharest on Thursday night.

The Romanians are a best-priced 11/8 to get the upper hand from the first encounter and this looks a price worth getting involved with.

Steaua moved to top spot in their own league last week but have since been usurped by Dinamo Bucharest over the weekend.

That was because they were given permission to have an extra couple of days break to prepare for the visit of Boro and that fact has not been lost coach Cosmin Olaroiu.

"It is fantastic not to have to play," he said, so expect his players to be at their peak in terms of freshness.

Compare that to the fixture congestion Steve McClaren has faced over the Easter period.

After losing 1-0 at Portsmouth on Saturday, he made nine changes for the 2-0 win over West Ham 48 hours later in a bid to save some legs.

They picked up the three points to their credit but it seems a bit much to ask McClaren and his men to pull yet another rabbit out of the hat in the away segment of the encounter.

So the evidence points to a home win - setting up another potentially titanic evening at the Riverside in the reverse fixture.

Keep an eye on Banel Nicolita, who has starred for the home side throughout their European exploits.

The 21-year-old can be backed at 4/1 to score anytime and that could also pay dividends.

He has found the target three times in the last two rounds and could well rise to the occasion once more.

Gelsenkirchen stages the other semi-final first leg as Schalke host Sevilla.

The home side's coach Mirko Slomka has taken radical action after a disappointing run in the Bundesliga (no win in five matches) and dropped out-of-form duo Kevin Kuranyi and Brazilian Lincoln.

Kuranyi has found the net just three times in 2006 while Lincoln has not really been at the races since returning from injury a month ago.

They were held 1-1 at home by lowly Cologne over the weekend with Slomka slating his team's performance and claiming they "did not deserve to win."

Sevilla also managed a draw domestically when securing a 0-0 scoreline at Deportivo in the Riazor.

The visitors had the best of the argument in terms of chances while looking solid at the back and the 10/3 about them beating Schalke on their patch does seem on the big side.

Javier Saviola continues in good form and although coach Jaunde Ramos will be without striker Frederic Kanoute, they could just have an edge to take back to Spain over the currently floundering Germans.

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