Europa League: Metalist get lifeline

Quarter-Finals, First Leg Results Team (Country, UEFA ranking)

Europa League: Metalist get lifeline. 46951.jpeg

AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands, 51) 2 Valencia (Spain, 14) 1

Holman 45+1                                  Mehmet Topal, 51

Martens 79

AZ: Esteban, Marcellis, Klavan, Poulsen, Moisander, Maher, Martens, Elm, Holman, Gudmundsson, Altidore SUBS: Heijblok, Johansson, Lam, Wijnaldum, Falkenburg, Boymans, Benschop.

Valencia: Alves, Barragán, Dealbert, Alba, Ricardo Costa, Mathieu, Mehmet, Feghouli, Hernández, Tino Costa, Soldado SUBS: Guaita, Ruiz, Albelda, Parejo, Jonas, Aduriz, Piatti.

Schalke (Germany, 20) 2 Athletic Bilbao (Spain, 56) 4

Raul González 22, 59       Llorente 21, 73

                                          De Marcos, 81   Munain 90+3

Schalke: Hildebrand, Papadopoulos, Uchida, Höger, Jones, Fuchs, Draxler, Matip, Raúl, Farfán, Huntelaar SUBS: Schober, Escudero, Hoogland, Holtby, Jurado, Moritz, Marica.

Athletic: Gorka Iraizoz, Aurtenetxe, Amorebieta, Iraola, Iturraspe, De Marcos, Ander Herrera, Javi Martínez, Llorente, Susaeta, Muniain SUBS: Raúl, San José, Ekiza, Ramalho, Íñigo Pérez, Toquero, Ibai Gómez.

Sporting CP (Portugal, 22) 2 Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine, 39) 1

Izmailov 51                            Cleiton Xavier 90+1 (pen)

Insúa 64

Sporting: Rui Patrício, Carriço, Polga, Pereira, Insúa, Xandão, Schaars, Izmailov, Capel, Fernández, Van Wolfswinkel SUBS: Marcelo, Evaldo, André Martins, Renato, Suárez, Carrillo, Rubio.

Metalist: Goryainov, Villagra, Torsiglieri, Obradović, Gueye, Cleiton Xavier, Sosa, Torres, Blanco, Cristaldo, Taison SUBS: Dišljenković, Berezovchuk, Pshenychnykh, Shelayev, Valyayev, Marlos, Dević

Atlético Madrid (Spain, 12) 2 Hannover (Germany, 65) 1

Falcao 9                                   Diouf 38

Salvio 89

Atlético: Courtois, Godín, Filipe Luis, Miranda, Mario Suárez, Arda Turan, Gabi, Koke, Adrián López, Falcao, Juanfran SUBS: Asenjo, Domínguez, Perea, Tiago, Assunção, Salvio, Diego

Hannover: Zieler, Pogatetz, Eggimann, Cherundolo, Pander, Sergio Pinto, Stindl, Schmiedebach, Rausch, Schlaudraff, Diouf SUBS: Miller, Haggui, Schulz, Chahed, Lala, Konan Ya, Abdellaoue

Second Leg on April 5

Next round:    Metalist/Sporting v. Bilbao/Schalke

                        Hannover/Atlético Madrid v. Valencia/Alkmaar

Our forecast: Metalist too strong for Sporting in Ukraine; Bilbao is the potential tournament winner. Hannover and Valencia should overturn the scores. Valencia v. Bilbao final.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru