KEY POINTS:
MADRID - Familiarity is breeding respect and not contempt as Sevilla prepare to go head-to-head with fellow Primera Liga side Espanyol in the all-Spanish Uefa Cup final in Glasgow on Thursday.
The two teams have been singing each other's praises and both know that it is likely to
be a far tighter affair than recent Uefa Cup finals.
"Espanyol always make for uncomfortable opponents," said Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, who coached 'the other Barcelona team' for a spell before falling out with the board at the start of the 2002-03 season.
"Teams like them who aren't the favourites are always very focused when they go into a final and that's why so many upsets occur."
Sevilla wing back Daniel Alves agrees that Espanyol are likely to put up far more resistance than Middlesbrough did when the Spaniards won last year's final. "We would have liked to have faced a team who didn't know us, because we have our way of playing and Espanyol know us perfectly," the Brazilian said.
Espanyol's prowess in front of goal was demonstrated to devastating effect in their 4-3 league win at Real Madrid yesterday. The Catalans went 2-0 and then 3-1 up against the nine-times European champions with their Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani notching a hat-trick in just 19 first-half minutes.
But coach Ernesto Valverde's decision to rest several key players ahead of the final at Hampden Park eventually took its toll as Real grabbed a last-gasp victory.
"It almost made me tear out the few hairs I have left on my head," Pandiani said. "I score three goals against Real at their own ground and I still come out on the losing side. It's incredible!"
Pandiani is the leading scorer in the Uefa Cup, with 11 goals, while Espanyol, who beat much-fancied Werder Bremen in the semifinals, have scored 32 in their unbeaten run to the final. Sevilla also have an attack that inspires respect, with rejuvenated former Tottenham star Frederic Kanoute leading the line, and Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, livewire Russian forward Alexander Kerzhakov and combative Uruguayan Ernesto Chevanton fighting it out for a starting place.
Espanyol fullback David Garcia said: "Sevilla have been back in the top division for six years and have spent every summer improving, buying really well and also developing their own talent. Above all, they have become a very attacking, very aggressive side."
Sevilla also rested several first-line players for their league match yesterday, but managed a 2-1 victory at home to Recreativo Huelva that kept them in the title race. Having already secured a place in the King's Cup final, an historic treble remains a possibility for the Andalucians, bidding to become the first side since Real Madrid in 1986 to make a successful Uefa Cup defence.
Ramos said: "We are proud and happy to be in with the chance of the treble and we hope to add the icing on the cake by ending the season with at least one trophy."
Final Line-Up
Espanyol v Sevilla
Glasgow, Thursday
Espanyol: Gorka Iraizoz, Pablo Zabaleta, Daniel Jarque, Mari Lacruz/Marc Torrejon, David Garcia, Franciso Rufete, Ivan de la Pena, Moises Hurtado, Albert Riera/Luis Garcia, Raul Tamudo, Walter Pandiani.
Sevilla: Andres Palop, Daniel Alves, Javi Navarro/Aitor Ocio, Ivica Dragutinovic, David Castedo, Jesus Navas, Christian Poulsen, Renato, Antonio Puerta/Adriano Correia, Luis Fabiano/Alexander Kerzhakov, Frederic Kanoute.
- REUTERS