City prepared for Greek test
Manchester City insist they will be on their guard against Aris Thessaloniki in the first knock-out round of the Europa League knowing the Greek side have already accounted for the trophy’s holders.
Aris are only sixth in the Greek league but they beat Atletico Madrid home and away in the group phase.
City’s football administrator Brian Marwood said: “They have an extremely experienced coach in Hector Cuper, he did a good job at Valencia and Inter Milan, so these will be two games we will be taking extremely seriously.
“Beating the current holders twice in the group stages is no mean feat, and we will not be underestimating them.”
Cuper, from Argentina, is vastly experienced and like City boss Roberto Mancini once managed Inter Milan.
Marwood added: “It’s two former Inter Milan coaches going head to head and I’m looking forward to it.
“With the preparation time we have we feel we’re in a very strong position in terms of our squad.”
In other matches involving British sides, there is a clash between the Europa League’s draw specialists Liverpool and Sparta Prague, while Rangers have a tougher-looking test against Sporting Lisbon.
Liverpool drew four of their six games in the group phase but in Sparta they will face a side who have proved equally difficult to beat, having drawn three of their group matches.
If they get through, City will face Besiktas or Dynamo Kiev in the last 16, while Liverpool would face Lech Poznan or FC Braga. If Rangers progress, they would face Lille or PSV Eindhoven.
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said he will field his strongest possible team in the knock-out rounds.
“By that stage of the season we’ll be playing three matches a week and I won’t have the luxury I have had so far of sometimes sparing players in the Europa League,” he said.
“We’re at the knockout stage now and so I won’t have that option because it will be important to put out our best team every time if we want to go further in the competition.”
Rangers beat Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals en route to the UEFA Cup final in 2008, clinched by a 2-0 win in Portugal.
Rangers manager Walter Smith told the club’s website: “We know we will face two really tough games because they are playing well at the moment and we had to play well to win there last time out.
“We played some good football against them across the two legs and we will really have to repeat those kinds of levels to have success in the Europa League.
“Of course Pedro Mendes is there so we know the quality of player that we will face.”
