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UEFA Cup Preview: Middlesborough v Xanthi [Fri Sep 16th, 2005]
For a second consecutive year, Middlesborough will have to face a Greek team. Last season was Egaleo and now at the Riverside Stadium they will entertain another hotshot, Xanthi, for the first leg of the UEFA Cup’s first round.
Contrary to Xanthi, who had a good beginning in the Greek First Division with a win and a draw, the English side started with a home scoreless draw against Liverpool and a 2-0 away defeat against Tottenham, but then beat Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday and currently lie in eighth place in the Premier League, with seven points after five games.
One problem for Xanthi’s coach Giannis Mantzourakis will be that Middlesborough’s squad contains household names such as Hasselbaink and Viduka, while the visitors, quite funny though, can rely for some experience only on former Middlesborough midfielder, the Brazilian Emerson.
So the mounting pressure will be only for Steve McClaren’s side, who are looking for an even greater challenge, hoping to break the monopoly of Chelsea, Manchester Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool for a spot that leads to the UEFA Champions League, as Everton did successfully last year.
PROBABLE STARTING XIs
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Xavier, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Parlour, Boateng, Doriva, Johnson, Maccarone, Ayegbeni
Xanthi: Pizanocsky, Toroside, Sikov, Pavio, Papadimitriou, Mahradje, Antzas, Emerson, Tsicino, Lutsiano, Lambriakos
Referee: Stefan Messner (AUT)/ Riverside Stadium, 20:00 (local time)
Michael Paterakis
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