The first leg of the semifinals of the first Conference League this Thursday offers a rivalry between Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers and Roma’s José Mourinho who returns to England and wants to add this trophy to his two Champions League and his two UEFA / Europa League. In search of this record, Mou faces a test involving self -measurement against the ‘Foxes’. Feyenoord and Marseille, led by Jorge Sampaoli, are battling the first leg of another ‘semi’.
Leicester are dreaming of winning their first European title and that means eliminating Mourinho’s team, 5th in Serie A. The ‘Foxes’ are 10th in the Premier League. Rodgers worked at the Chelsea academy when the ‘blues’ were coached by Mou. This time the two technicians will be rivals.
Everyone’s dream is to be 25th in the final, at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana. Leicester’s best performance in Europe was the quarterfinals in the 2016-17 Champions League. Roma won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1961, being runner-up in the 1984 European Cup and 1991 UEFA Cup. “Leicester are strong, but we are Roma and the second leg will be played at home in front of our great fans. Said Mourinho.
Feyenoord, 3rd in the current Eredivisie, is a historic player in the Eurotournaments: they were declared European champions in 1969-70 and won the UEFA Cup twice, 1973-74 and 2001-02. Their rival in this semi-final, Marseille, is 2nd in the current Ligue 1 and became European champion in 1992-93, as well as runner-up in 1990-91. And three-time UEFA/Europa League runner-up: 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2017-18.
LIKELY LINEUP
LEICESTER-ROME
King Power Stadium, 9:00 pm (MLC1)
Leicester: Schmeichen; Ricardo Pereira, Fofana, Evans, Castagne; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Albrighton, Iheanacho and Barnes
Coach: Brendan Rodgers
Rome: Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Mkhitaryan, Pellegrini, Zalewski; Zaniolo and Abraham
Trainer: Jose Mourinho
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)
FEYENOORD-MARSEILLE
De Kuip, 9pm (MLC2)
Feyenoord: Martian; Geertruida, Trauner, Senesi, Malacia; Toornstra, Aursnes, Orkun Kökçü; Nelson, Dessers and Sinisterra
Coach: Arne Slot
Marseilles: Mandanda; Lirola, Saliba, Caleta-Car, Peres; Guendouzi, Rongier, Gueye; Harit, Bakambu and Payet
Coach: Jorge Sampaoli
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Source: La Verdad
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