Going into stoppage time of the first leg of this tie, Sporting Lisbon appeared to have it all but wrapped up. With the home side having a 2-0 home lead, Metalist Kharkiv were going to have a lot of work to do to overturn the result. Then, Metalist drew a penalty and Cleiton Xavier converted, giving his team a very good chance to advance to the semifinals.
Metalist Kharkiv Vs. Sporting Lisbon, 2012 UEFA Europa League: It’s One Of Jose Sosa’s Good Years
Metalist’s South American contingent is in good form at the moment, led by Argentinian international Jose Ernesto Sosa, who has earned a recall with his play. Sosa is world football’s best roller coaster ride, and he is currently on one of his good years. He will inevitably be one of the most disappointing players in football next season.
A lot of teams would attempt to play for a 1-0 win in Metalist’s situation, while a lot of teams in Sporting’s situation would put 10 men behind the ball. This is not really in either team’s DNA. Expect attacking and openness and awesomeness.
Game Date/Time: Thursday, April 5, 3:05 p.m. ET, 9:05 p.m. local
Venue: Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv, Ukraine
TV: DirecTV Soccer (USA)
We’ll have individual game previews and live coverage in our UEFA Europa League Quarterfinals StoryStream.
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