- It is possible that Legia will meet the Dutch national team again. Fans still remember the clashes with the local police. – Ajax fans aren’t ‘nice’ either, De Telegraaf’s Stephen Kooyman tells us
- The Poles have the greatest sporting opportunities in drawing the Norwegian Birth or the Royal Belgian Union St. Giloise. – I think it will be a close match, with Legia being the slight favorite – comments Joachim Remvik, journalist from Norwegian “Dagbladet Sports”.
- – Legia have proven that they are a team capable of defeating big teams, and their ability to create chances without possession goes well with how Betis tries to control the pace of the match – Alvaro Pelayo from the Spanish portal estimates 90 minutes
- Olympiacos has a similar peculiarity to Legia. According to the Greek expert, their team concedes many goals, but shines offensively
- The Champions League draw is scheduled to take place next Monday, December 18, at 12:00 GMT (14.00). The first round of 16 matches are scheduled to be held on February 15
- You can find more interesting stories in Przegląd Sportowy Onet
Legia Warsaw players finished the year in the European Cups with a win over AZ Alkmaar. With this win, they advanced to the knockout stage of the European Conference League. They took 12 points from six games, finishing just one point behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League.
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Legia are only fifth in the PKO BP Ekstraklasa, but are impressing in the European Cups. In the qualifiers, the team also showed an amazing performance, scoring as many as 15 goals in six matches and conceding 13 goals. Kosta Ronjajic now hopes that the team will perform equally well in the round of 16 finals. A successful draw will certainly be important in achieving this. On Monday, December 18, at two o’clock in the afternoon, there will be a ceremony in which the capital team will recognize its rival.
Among the potential opponents there are real forces. However, it is also possible to find easier competitors, at least on paper.
Possible rivals Legia Warsaw:
- Olympiacos SFP (Greece)
- Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Real Betis Balompie (Spain)
- SK Sturm Graz (Austria)
- Royal Union Saint-Geloise (Belgium)
- Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
- Servette FC Geneva (Switzerland)
- Molde (Norway)
In the group stage, there was a lot of talk about the confrontation with Dutch team AZ Alkmaar. After the meeting, which was held outside its home ground in Alkmaar, the Polish delegation, headed by President Dariusz Miodoski, fell victim to local police aggression. Josue and Radovan Bankov even spent a night in custody. Soon, in the draw, the army may once again receive a “delegation” to the Netherlands.
– I don’t think Ajax wants to go to Legia. Although Ajax fans aren’t “nice” either. Indeed, the club is focusing on itself after an exciting start to the season. I think the chances are 50/50, but the current situation is much better than it was in early October and November. The two-legged tie could be very exciting, as De Telegraaf’s Stephen Kooyman tells us.
During a match like this, it would be very hot in the stands. Before Ajax’s last match against AEK Athens, local fans clashed with the police, as a result of which 140 people were arrested.
Ajax is not the only power the Poles could face. Possible opponents also include Spain’s Real Betis. Last season’s sixth team in the Spanish League includes, among others, former Real Madrid star Isco and Barcelona and Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin. Sevilla was one point away from remaining in the Europa League.
– In a group in which Aston Villa was supposed to be the favorite, Legia Warsaw succeeded in “unnerving” the English team. Real Betis’ start in the Europa League has not been as expected, and the decision not to include Shadi Riyad in the competition appears to have been very costly for them. Real Madrid can play a very nice offensive game, but without the young Moroccan, he showed some weaknesses in defence. Legia have proven that they are a team capable of defeating big teams, and their ability to create chances without possession combines very well with how Betis tries to control the pace of the match – estimates Alvaro Pelayo, journalist of the Spanish portal 90 Minutes .
Poles have the greatest sporting opportunities in Drawing Molde or Royal Union St. Giloise. This is due to the fact that the Belgian and Norwegian teams are among the teams drawn from the same basket as Legia, and at this stage teams from the same country are still unable to meet each other.
-I would say that Legia has a good chance to play against Molde. Molde won the Norwegian league last year but were far behind this year. When they are playing at their best, they can compete with good teams (as they showed in the Champions League qualifier against Galatasaray), but I think it will be a close match with Legia as slight favourites. I don’t think Legia will be one of Molde’s favorite teams in the qualifiers. If they could choose, I think they would rely on Slovan Bratislava or Ferencvaros – comments Joachim Remvik, journalist from the Norwegian “Dagbladet Sports”.
In Europe, Legia impress with their attacking effectiveness, but pay the price for this with their weak defence. Olympiacos has similar characteristics. The fourth team from the Greek League in Group A of the Europa League secured third place, giving them a place in the 1/16 LKE. But she lost 14 goals in six matches! Freiburg scored as many as eight goals (2:3 and 0:5).
– Legia will certainly be a difficult opponent for Olympiacos, especially in Warsaw. While Olympiacos display a powerful and dangerous attacking style, their defense lacks consistency, allowing every opponent to score at least once. Considering all the teams Olympiacos could play, Legia would be a very interesting opponent – according to Alexandros Mouraglis of Greece’s RED.
Legia may also face Raków Częstochowa’s recent rival – Sturm Graz. The Austrian club finished third in the group in the last round after eliminating the Polish champion.
– I think Legia is a very good team, which they showed especially against Aston Villa and AZ Alkmaar. Honestly, I didn’t even think they would do that well. However, there are stronger teams here that have qualified for the next stage in the Conference League. It will be interesting if they play against Sturm Graz, but I prefer other teams that have performed worse so far – comments Tobias Grubinger, a former journalist from Salzburg and currently employed at a PR agency.
The Champions League draw is scheduled to take place next Monday, December 18, at 12:00 GMT (14.00). The first round of 16 matches are scheduled to be held on February 15.
source:Onet Sports Review
author:K R
Date of creation: Today at 06:00
Journalist for the newspaper Przeglad Sportuy One
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