Linfield -v- AEL Limassol
Credit:
LINFIELD
Linfield face a near impossible task of overturning a three goal deficit as they welcome AEL to Windsor Park on Wednesday night.
The south Belfast outfit did well to keep the classy Cypriot champions to three goals as a combination of their superior technical ability and the sweltering conditions meant that Linfield endured a torrid evening in the Tsirion Stadium last week.
David Jeffrey realises that his team are virtually out of the Champions League but feels that they can use the fixture as preparation for the upcoming league campaign which begins on the 11th of August.
Speaking to the club website he said:
“I'm not being defeatist in any shape or form. Given the real quality of our opponents, I'll just say it's unlikely we'll score four and concede none. Our attitude is, we know how good a side we are playing.
“It's an opportunity now to focus very much on the beginning of the league campaign on August 11 and what I've said to the players this morning is, this is a 4th game or 6th game, if you include the Carrick and Bangor City games, to help us prepare for the start of the new season.”
They welcome back veteran defender William Murphy to the squad but Brian McCaul is absent because of a niggling knee injury and Albert Watson, Michael Gault and Philip Lowry are out as well.
AEL LIMASSOL
AEL make the journey to Northern Ireland knowing that barring a spectacular collapse they will progress to the third qualifying phase of the Champions League.
If they should get the required result in Windsor Park they will meet the winners of the tie involving Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade, and Maltese champions Valletta FC.
Partizan look to be the more likely opponents as they defeated Valletta 4-1 in Malta in the first leg and are overwhelming favourites to progress.
AEL manager Pambos Christodoulou is very much aware that his side must concentrate on getting past Linfield as the Irish League champions will prove a more difficult proposition on their home turf.
He told the Cyprus Mail:
“The first leg was obviously a match in itself. This is the main reason why we must remain focused and approach the second leg as seriously as possible, because in football you never know what can happen.
“It is a tricky match and our opponents have nothing to lose. We need to be disciplined and I firmly believe that if we stick to our game plan we should have no problems in progressing into the next round,”
Referee: Martin Strombergsson (Sweden)
MATCH STATS
Linfield had a three goal lead pegged back by Copenhagen in the 1993/94 Champions League campaign when despite winning the home leg 3-0, they were eventually beaten 4-0 after extra-time in Denmark.
AEL have only competed once before in Europe's premier club competition, way back in 1968/69 when they lost 12-0 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the old European Cup.
AEL started the first leg without a single Cypriot player in their line-up.
BETTING
Linfield 19/4 Draw 14/5 AEL Limassol 4/7
PREDICTION
Linfield 1-2 AEL Limassol
Linfield Injury News: Brian McCaul, Albert Watson, Philip Lowry, Michael Gault
Linfield Suspension News: None
AEL Limassol Injury News: Unavailable
AEL Limassol Suspension News: None
