Naija pipo, make una gist me. Di UEFA Conference League semi-final first leg go hold for Estadio de Vallecas for Madrid, as Rayo Vallecano go host Strasbourg on Thursday night. Di winner of dis two-legged tie go face either Shakhtar Donetsk or Crystal Palace for di final for Leipzig on May 27.
Rayo Vallecano don reach semi-final of just dia second major European competition, 25 years after dia quarter-final appearance for UEFA Cup. Dem nearly throway three-goal first-leg advantage against AEK Athens for quarter-finals, but Isi Palazon score second-half goal to secure 4-3 aggregate victory. Only AEK Athens (21) don score more Conference League goals dis term than Rayo (20), wey finish fifth for di 36-team League Phase (W4 D1 L1), before beating Samsunspor 3-2 on aggregate for last 16.
Head coach Inigo Perez don build strong friendship wit im players. Dem show resilience for last weekend La Liga 3-3 draw wit Real Sociedad, wey dem rescue point after trailing 3-1 wit six minutes remaining. Perez men face sixth-placed Getafe on Sunday, but dia immediate focus na Thursday clash for Estadio de Vallecas, wey be fortress for Rayo. Dem don lose only one of dia 12 home games for UEFA competition and only two of dia last 19 matches overall (W10 D7).
Strasbourg, under manager Gary O'Neil, don maintain momentum from former boss Liam Rosenior. Dem finish top of di League Phase before beating HNK Rijeka 3-2 on aggregate for last 16. Dem also stage stunning comeback to overturn 2-0 first-leg deficit against Mainz 05 for quarter-finals, winning 4-2 on aggregate. However, defensive frailties don creep in, as dem don concede two or more goals for four of dia last five matches for all competitions, including 3-0 home defeat to Rennes for Ligue 1 and 2-0 loss to Nice for Coupe de France semi-finals last week. Another two goals were conceded on Sunday away to Lorient, but dem score for 92nd and 100th minutes to snatch dramatic 3-2 victory.
Conference League glory arguably be Strasbourg best route into Europe next season. Dem go face Spanish opposition for first time since drawing three successive matches wit Barcelona for di third round of 1964-65 Fairs Cup, wey dem progress after tie was decided via coin toss.
Rayo Vallecano go miss defender Luiz Felipe and attacker Alvaro Garcia due to hamstring and muscle injuries. Goalkeeper Augusto Batalla serve domestic ban last time out, but e dey available for selection on Thursday. Whether e start remains to be seen, as e recently recover from thigh issue, so Daniel Cardenas fit retain im place. Jorge de Frutos be Rayo joint-top scorer for all tournaments wit 12 goals; only one of those goals don come for nine Conference League games, but e still likely to start for attack along wit Ilias Akhomach and Fran Perez.
For Strasbourg, Joaquin Panichelli (knee) and Aaron Anselmino (hamstring) dey sidelined, while Valentin Barco dey suspended for first leg due to accumulation of yellow cards. Guela Doue dey doubtful wit virus, so either Junior Mwanga or Abdoul Ouattara fit start for right-back, joining Ismael Doukoure, Andrew Omobamidele and Ben Chilwell for four-man defence. Martial Godo don score four of im 14 goals dis season for Conference League, and e go hope to force way back into first XI alongside Julio Enciso, Sebastian Nanasi and Gessime Yassine.
Considering how vulnerable both teams don look for defence for recent weeks, an entertaining, end-to-end contest fit dey for store on Thursday. However, we dey back Rayo Vallecano to spring surprise on Strasbourg and take slender advantage to France for next week second leg.
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