Out of the few dozen countries that have been represented throughout the various stages of the 2010-2011 UEFA Europa League, only two countries have teams remaining in the semi-finals. Portugal is one of those countries, boasting three representatives in the final four. This domination of the Europa League has already done huge things for football in Portugal, as they have opened up a wide gap in the UEFA Coefficients on Russia, Ukraine, and the Netherlands, which will allow them to have three Champions League spots and three Europa League spots for the foreseeable future. This is an improvement from their previous position, which gave them two Champions League spots. Spain are the other country represented in the semi-finals, after Villarreal impressively ran through Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, and FC Twente, all of whom are extremely high-quality sides.
UEFA Europa League 2011, Semifinals: Preview
One of the members of the Portuguese contingent, Sporting Braga, is a minor surprise. They made the Champions League group stages and were knocked down to Europa League after a third place finish, but they have made an impressive run, defeating bigger sides Liverpool and Dinamo Kiev in the previous two rounds. The other two participants in the semifinals, FC Porto and Benfica, will have surprised no one by getting this far.
Benfica Vs. Sporting Braga
Thursday, 3:00 pm ET
Benfica haven't been as impressive as they were last season in the Portuguese Liga, but they still sit comfortably in second place, meaning they could be on their way to the Champions League next season. Still, they have had plenty of struggles this year. Oscar Cardozo hasn't been in good form at all, so much so that he's been booed by his home fans on occasion. However, star youngsters Alan Kardec and Franco Jara have yet to play up to a level sufficient to cause Cardozo to lose his place, so he's likely to start against Braga. Behind the forwards, Benfica are strong all the way down their spine, even after losing David Luiz.
Braga are far from flashy, but they’re certainly tough and well organized. They showed in their quarterfinal tie against Dinamo Kiev that they know exactly how to win a 180 minute tie 1-0 if that’s what they have to do. Some people call it negative football, but others call it intelligent football, and when you’re on a small budget, I’m going to lean towards agreeing with the latter group of people. Playing the first leg away from home, their goal will likely be to frustrate Benfica.
FC Porto Vs. Villarreal
Thursday, 3:00 pm ET
This one really feels like it should have been the final. With no disrespect to Benfica and Braga, these are the two best teams remaining in the competition, and the winner of this tie will be a heavy favorite in the final. Porto have been stunning all season, and it looks like they could be on their way to a fantastic treble. They’ve already won the league, they will be heavy favorites in the Taca de Portugal, and they’re the favorites to win this competition as well. Hulk and Falcao have been absolutely stunning up top, and Joao Moutinho has finally reached his potential after some disappointing seasons at Sporting Lisbon. Varela’s great season has been overlooked because of the stars, and the presence of players like James Rodriguez and Nicolas Otamendi protect Porto against a potential raid on their superstars by bigger clubs.
Villarreal are slight underdogs, but only slightly. If it weren't for their recent poor form in Spain, this would probably be a push. When healthy, Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar have been almost as potent up top as Hulk and Falcao. Unfortunately, after a stunning start to the year, Santi Carzola has been a bit off as of late. However, based on his early season form, there's no denying that he's a star, and he could come back into form at any moment. Though Villarreal's defense was picked apart by Sevilla last week, the defensive combination of Carlos Marchena and Mateo Musacchio is a great one, and they have an underrated goalkeeper in Diego Lopez behind them. Villarreal are a bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team, but on their day, they absolutely have what it takes to beat FC Porto.
