This Thursday, Sporting begin their participation in the European Football League in Graz, Austria, against Sturm in Group D, in which they will try to remain in first place, the only one that gives direct access to the 1/8 finals.
At the Graz Liebenau stadium, starting at 21:00 (in Lisbon at 20:00), the Lions will meet an opponent who has never passed the “bullet” stage in this competition and who, together with the Poles from Rakow-Czestochowa, are those who has fewer arguments to move forward.
Italian Atalanta is the main rival of the “green-whites” in the group, in which the team that takes second place guarantees itself access to the playoffs for reaching the “eighth”.
In matches with Austrian clubs, Sporting have seven wins with six defeats and two draws, while the record on Austrian soil is disappointing (two draws and five defeats), and in Graz the Lions, who are second in the I League, are equal on points with leader Boavista, they will find a team that is also going through a good phase, since they are second in the championship.
The team led by Christian Ilser has no big names and finished the last Austrian Bundesliga in second place, just behind ten-time champions Salzburg, Benfica’s Champions League rivals, before being relegated by champions PSV this season. Eindhoven, Netherlands.
In other groups, Roma, coached by Jose Mourinho, will face Moldovan Sheriff Tiraspol on their debut, while six-time European champions Liverpool will travel to Austria to play LASK in Linz.
The Dutch from Ajax and the French from Marseille, former European champions, meet in Group B, which includes European newcomers Brighton from England, rivals of Greek champions AEK Athens.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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