Goalless in the first leg, FC Rubin
Kazan's UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie against Levante UD is sure to be
decided by "fractions of a second" and "small details"
according to the respective coaches.
Rubin returned to domestic action at
the weekend with a 1-0 win against FC Zenit St Petersburg and will no doubt be
striving for a similar outcome on Thursday, in their 50th game in UEFA
competition. Levante, though, continue to defy the odds in their maiden
European campaign. Not even the unfamiliar Moscow temperatures can detract from
the Spanish Liga side's optimism.
"During the day I went out into
the street in short sleeves, but during the game no one will be thinking about
the cold," said Levante coach Juan Ignacio Martínez. "The players
will have to run and I will try to give them some of my energy. I took a few
photos of the weather and sent them to my wife.
"Rubin are an experienced team
and they are also at home, so they are the favourites, but thanks to the 0-0
draw in the first leg our chances are still 50-50," added Martínez, whose
side played out another stalemate with Getafe CF on Sunday. "If we score,
then the task is much more complex for Rubin. Our opponents know how to defend,
but we know how to create chances. The game will be a tactical challenge for
both teams. It will be 90 minutes of great concentration."
While Martínez has concerns about
the sore throat afflicting goalkeeper Keylor Navas – "due to the
change in temperature" – he must also compensate for the absence of
Obafemi Martins, who joined Seattle Sounders FC earlier in the week. Rubin
coach Kurban Berdyev, meanwhile, is without midfielders Aleksandr Ryazantsev
and Yann M'Vila.
"I think the game will be the
same as in Spain – both teams have an equal chance," said Berdyev.
"Levante have a strong team and I see no reason why Robert Acquafresca
cannot replace Martins. They both have their pros and cons.
"In some ways Levante and Rubin
play in a similar way, but there are many nuances that make them different.
There are positives and negatives to both sides' systems and tomorrow's match
will be decided by these things. A fraction of a second when making a decision
could affect the outcome. Our task is to get to the next stage."
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