Group stage of the European Conference League also with Slovan: The favorites include Tottenham and AS Roma – Športky.sk

BRATISLAVA – With a portion of fourteen matches, the group phase of the new UEFA 2021/2022 European Conference League will start in full swing on Thursday, September 16th. The only Slovak club representative in this year’s Cup Europe Slovan Bratislava will also be in the game, hosting the Danish FC Copenhagen on Tehelné pole. The opening year of the competition will culminate on May 25 next year with a final match in Tirana.

The first two matches in the groups took place on Tuesday. In the A-group Maccabi Tel Aviv, which eliminated Spartak from Trnava on the way to the main stage, the Armenian Alaškert Yerevan defeated 4: 1 at home. In the E-group, another Israeli representative, Maccabi Haifa, also drew at home without goals with Feyenoord Rotterdam, a former EPM winner (1970), resp. UEFA Cup (1974, 2002).

One of the favorites for the overall triumph is the representative of the English Premier League Tottenham Hotspur. He could manage to imitate the year 1971/1972, when he became the first ever winner of the UEFA Cup, today’s UEFA Europa League. The “Spurs” will rely on Captain and striker Harry Kane in this endeavor. In the playoffs, he contributed two goals to the elimination of Pacos de Ferreira and already has 40 goals in the Tottenham jersey in the European Cup. If he starts in the first fight against Rennes, he will record the 65th European start for Spurs and break the record of club legend Steve Perryman.

After the cup, AS Roma competes with the Portuguese coach Joe Mourinho. He has already won the Champions League with FC Porto and Inter Milan, respectively. UEFA Cup and European League with Porto and Manchester United. With Udo Lattek and Rafael Benitez, he is the only coach to win a UEFA trophy with three different clubs. He can now become the first to win all three of the biggest competitions.

Alaškert became the first Armenian club in the group stage of the UEFA competition. After moving to Yerevan in 2013, the club quickly grew up, winning four championship titles and now its fans can look forward to matches in competition group number 3. Similarly, supporters of the outsider and champion of Gibraltar Lincoln Red Imps. He will start the fight in the F-group with a duel with the Greek PAOK Thessaloniki and again this season he will play with the Slovak champion.

Union Berlin will also be the opponent of the Czech champion Slavia Prague in the E-group. The Slovak national team midfielder Jakub Hromada did not get on the list of “sewn” for EKL, another Slovak national team member and forward Ivan Schranz should pull them to the goal. Other Slovak players will also perform in the groups, Omonia Nicosia has the duo Michal Ďuriš – Tomáš Hubočan on the roster, Jakub Považanec plays in Jablonec, or Matúš Bero for Vitesse Arnheim.

Only eight winners from the groups will advance directly to the round of 16, the second teams will play in the round with the third teams from the UEFA Europa League groups. The winner will secure participation in the EL group next season if he does not make it to the Champions League through a domestic competition.

• The author: © List
• Source: TASR