A PICSPAM TRIBUTE TO THE EUROPA LEAGUE

[jenni_blog]

It's really exciting this year...everything is different. A new name for the tournament...three Portuguese teams in the semi-finals along with a Spanish team, Villareal...thus ensuring all-Iberian semis and final match.

I suppose that powerhouse Porto are the favourites (I haven't checked the odds yet), even though Villareal will not be an easy team to beat in the semis. I would personally hope that Porto will meet Benfica in the finals.

Two key players will be out, though...for Benfica, striker Eduardo Salvio has broken his foot, and Porto will be missing defender Jorge Fucile, who has suffered a broken collarbone. However, both teams are strong enough to progress, even without these two important players.

Results from the quarter-finals:

FC Twente 1-3 Villareal (Aggregate: 2-8)

PSV Eindhoven 2-2 Benfica (Aggregate: 3-6)

Sporting Braga 0-0 Dynamo Kiev (Aggregate: 1-1* Braga go through on the away goal rule)

Spartak Moscow 2-5 FC Porto (Aggregate: 3-10) O_O: there's a real eye-opener!

The semis will take place on April 28th & May 5th: Benfica vs Braga and Porto vs Villareal.



Benfica-PSV Eindhoven pics from the two legs:

Oscar Cardozo vs Marcelo



Nico Gaitan jumps high



Congrats for Luisao



Luisao hugs Oscar Cardozo



Roberto celebrates



From the first leg:

Eduardo Salvio



Celebrations





Benfica goalkeeper Roberto



Dynamo Kiev's Yarmolenko (I don't like Braga, so NO Braga pics!)



Artem Milevsky







Villareal vs FC Twente

Guiseppe Rossi



FC Twente's Bryan Ruiz comforts a teammate





FC Porto!!!!

Porto training







Fredy Guarin press conference





Falcao training





From Spartak vs Porto

Cristian Sapunaru



Falcao and Fredy Guarin







Falcao and Joao Moutinho



Falcao and Cristian Rodriguez



Falcao battles



Fredy Guarin



Hulk





James Rodriguez



Joao Moutinho and Cristian Rodriguez



Rodriguez, Hulk and Falcao



Porto boyz celebrate

Comments

[serpent-849.livejournal.com]

lol it's the second season as europa league.
what's your opinion of my lovely spartak? &hearts it wasn't as bad as it sounds, y? &hearts

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

LOL...I forgot! :)

Spartak is pretty awesome. They have Eduardo and some other great players. It was great to see the team get as far as it did. I was actually surprised to see Porto do so well against them at home.

[serpent-849.livejournal.com]

um eduardo? ummmm whom do you mean lol?
my fave is makeev&hearts i noticed him already in his first match for the senior team and i was so happy when he was recently called up for the nt *___* http://sport.rian.ru/sport_photo/20110328/358737491_2.html &hearts

i want a benfica-villarreal final purely because russia is badly behind portugal and i want them to get the 3rd cl spot back asap...

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

OMG Eduardo plays for Shakhtar, doesn't he? NOT Spartak!!! See...I don't know my Russian and Ukrainian teams well enough!

Awwww...nice pic of Makeev with Roma! He looks familiar...I must have noticed him before... :)

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

(I don't like Braga, so NO Braga pics!) and Kiev is uninteresting! Sorry I have NO love for the clubs from Russia or other eastern european countries.

*LOL* @ some results. Porto was great and had shown some fuckers where they belong to *lol* YEAHHHHHHHHHH!

Benfica did a GREAT job too!

*fingers crossing* for the 'dream final' but as I know MY luck it will come the other way :(

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I like Kiev because of Sheva, of course, and Milevsky is just HOT. :P

Also Spartak has some players I like, and Twente. But I really only like Benfica and Porto. Villareal is just OK for me...they also have some players I like. :) But if they beat Porto I shall hate them!

Porto is so strong. I just hope they can get past Villareal, and then off to the final vs Benfica! XD

[aglaiya.livejournal.com]

You will always surprise me *lol* I don't like the easteuropean look.
Sheva is okayish but NEVER hot an the other guy I don't know but I think he will not be my typ ;)
Spartak is just russian shit for me. Sorry if you like them.

Okay, we all have a different taste.... btw I don't like the way they are playing!

The final will be not the one I want!

[serpent-849.livejournal.com]

lol then what's ajax? XD

spartak are aiming to play in barcelona style lol...

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

LOL...sometimes I DO like the east European look! But always for me the Latino look (except most Italians) will come first! :)

I don't know anything about Spartak, really! (And I seem to have mixed them up with Shakhtar.) XD

[txorakeriak.livejournal.com]

Iberian Peninsula League! :D I think it's hilarious that there are three clubs from Portugal and one club from Spain and no English or Italian clubs! XD

I'm hoping for a Villarreal vs Benfica final because I love Villarreal and I want to see Javi García again. ;)

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I like Villareal a lot and LOVE Benfica, but the way I feel about Porto this year is that I want to see them win the Europa league and do the treble along with the league and the Portuguese Cup. Lifa Sagres and Cup are won, now on to the Europa!