After the elite football, 16 matches will be played in the Europa League and in the Conference League, in two terms, today across the Old Continent. The fourth round is on the agenda and the "distribution" of positions in the knockout phase is already underway.
The European matches will be greeted with the greatest euphoria by the Belgrade rivals - Crvena zvezda will face Hungarian giants Ferencvaros in the Europa League, which they won 4:1 at the "Rajko Mitić" stadium. It was the first victory of the "red and whites" in Group H, but how important.
With that triumph, along with the sensational victory of Partizan in Cologne in the Europa League last week, Serbia has progressed so much in the UEFA table that it has a huge chance of having a champion in the Champions League next season, while the runner-up will play in the qualifiers for placement in the European elite.
But the status needs to be confirmed, because the Hungarian champion is the leader in group H - and the team led by Russian Stranislav Cherchesov won over Trabzon at home (3:2) and Monaco away (1:0) before the defeat in Belgrade.
"Ferencvaros is good in transition, they are fast forward. We have to neutralize it. Rummy? I can't settle for a draw before the game. It is not in my character, nor in the character of the club, the players. Let's go for the win," says Zvezda coach Miloš Milojević.
Ferencvaros and Monaco have six points each, Trabzonspor and Zvezda three each - a big fight is expected.
VEŠOVIĆ AND JANKOVIĆ "NIŠANE" OLIMPIJAKOS
The eyes of Montenegrin football fans will also be on Azerbaijan, because Karabag welcomes Olimpiakos and flies on the wings of the Montenegrin representatives - Marko Vešović scored two goals in three games in Group G, and Marko Janković one.
Vešović was the scorer in the defeat against Freiburg, but also in the great victory in Piraeus over Olympiakos in the last round (3:0), when he scored the second goal. Janković, on the other hand, scored against Nantes in a 3:0 triumph. Those results gave the Azerbaijanis six points in the first three rounds and an excellent position before the denouement, and a new victory would bring them significantly closer to spring in the Europa League.
Adama Marušić's Lazio plays fantastically in Serie A, and changeable in the Europa League - in the first three rounds, they have a win, a draw and a loss. Group F is the most even, as all four teams have four points each - along with Lazio, they are Feyenoord, Mittjylland and Sturm from Graz.
Tonight's duels could be decisive - Mauricio Sarri's team is the favorite against Sturm at "Olympic", just like Feyenoord against the Danes at "De Kuip".
The winner of the Conference League, Roma, entered the higher ranks badly - two defeats and only three points from the first three rounds of Group C of the Europa League put Jose Mourinho's team in a very uncomfortable situation before today's visit to Betis in Seville. The Spaniards celebrated in Rome last week, they have all nine points, and Roma is "fighting" with Ludogorets, which is second with more points, and welcomes Helsinki.
The leader of the Premier League Arsenal played two matches and celebrated in both, and after the postponement of the meeting between the "gunners" and PSV due to the death of Queen Elizabeth, Mikel Arteta's team welcomes the Norwegian Bode-Glimt in Group A. Last Thursday, Arsenal was convincing and celebrated against the Norwegians with 3:0.
VUJAČIĆ: COLOGNE WILL BE STRONGER, BUT WE CAN WITH THE PUBLIC
In the League of Conferences, after the historic triumph in Cologne, Partizan needs to confirm the first place in group D, with the same rival in their stadium.
Montenegrin stopper Igor Vujačić played a great 90 minutes last week at the "Jarčeva" stadium in a victory with which his team entered the finish of the group stage with a good chance to go further.
"I can't guarantee, but we will do everything in our power to save the network. They have good individuals on the flanks, they use early crosses, they burden us defensively with two strikers, while the third is added. That's why he has to get into the block better as far as crosses are concerned, to make our job easier. And we have to be careful for 90 minutes, because the break is one of the main weapons for the Germans. We have to use the help of the fans for a new feat. The atmosphere is getting better, I hope the audience will recognize the moment and support us", says Vujacic.
Cologne before the game (18.45:XNUMX p.m.), has one point less than the "black and whites".
As many as three Montenegrin internationals in Balkani from Suva Reka, the sensation of the Conference League, are waiting for tonight's clash with Sivaspor at the "Fadilj Vokri" stadium in Pristina after a historic victory over the same team in Turkey seven days ago (4:3) - captain Edvin Kuč, however, , injured, while the recovered Dejan Zarubica, after entering the finish line in the last round, is waiting for his chance. Goalkeeper Damir Ljuljanović was on the bench.
In group G, they all have four points and a goal difference of zero - Balkans, Slavija, Sivaspor and Cluj.
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