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UEFA Cup Preview: PAOK v Metalurg Donetsk [Fri Sep 16th, 2005]
Despite their bad performances in the Greek First Division up to now with a defeat and a draw, PAOK Thessalonika want to avoid any possible problem and to beat Metalurg Donetsk at home in the first round of the UEFA Cup, in order to have the advantage for the second leg in the Ukraine.
In the same round on last season, the home side had faced a 3-2 defeat at Thessalonika by the later surprising semi-finalists, Alkmaar, and surely now they would prefer a different scenario.
Meanwhile, Metalurg Donetsk have made a bright beginning in the Ukrainian league as they lie sixth in the table. Having signed one of Ukraine's best strikers last week, Olexandr Kossyrin of Chornomorets, definitely gives them a boost in their domestic competitions.
Yet they could do even better, especially as last term's top scorer Sergiy Shyshchenko is still around.
However, they are still trying to replace Yaya Toure and Babagida, who left for Olympiacos, Igor Lolo, who now is in Antwerp, and talented Marseille’s new signing, Andres Mendoza. And Georgian midfield player Levan Tskitishvili left them for Wolfsburg.
PROBABLE STARTING XIs
PAOK: Tochouroglou, Akiel, Karipides, Udese, Egomitis, Zagorakis, Charalampous, Vaggelis, Mietchel, Salpigides.
Metalurg Donetsk: Virt, Bousandi, Florea, Gaganov, Zotov, Ristic, Poliansi, Tsatsenko, Zakarliouka, Kosirin Sitsenko.
Referee: Julian Rodriguez Santiago (ESP)/ Toumba Stadium, 20:30 (local time)
Michael Paterakis
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