Spanish side Getafe better be prepared for today’s UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg match, as German giants Bayern Munich are “angry,” said their coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld.
The Germans travel to Spain in shaky shape as they were held 1-1 in Munich last Thursday, a late goal by Romanian substitute Cosmin Contra giving the Spaniards a slight advantage.
However, Bayern are in much better shape than their compatriots Bayer Leverkusen, who travel more in hope of a miracle than anything else as they trail Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg 4-1. Their woes were added to at the weekend when they lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund with two late goals further diluting their chances of making the Champions League next season.
The other two ties see Scottish mammoths Rangers travel to Lisbon tied at 0-0, while Fiorentina, the only surviving Italian club, must overcome Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands with the clash delicately poised at 1-1.
Hitzfeld, though, is on the warpath and is desperate to round off his final season with Bayern by landing both the German title and the UEFA Cup, a trophy he has never won as a coach.
“It’s [the draw with Getafe] also thrown a damper on our morale,” Hitzfeld said on the club’s Web site. “But it’s no reason to hang our heads. We’ll be a little angry when we go there. We’ll be thinking it’s time to show them who’s boss.”
Getafe have rewarded their goalscoring hero from last week with an extended one year contract and he is looking forward to tackling Bayern again, though, he may only be used as a substitute again.
“I don’t mind a bit, I am just enjoying myself at the club and it will be great to edge closer to some silverware if we beat Bayern,” Contra said.
“It is a tough task, but we are in a great frame of mind,” the 32-year-old veteran said.
Rangers’ chances of making the last four have been boosted by the news that Sporting Lisbon’s Brazilian central defender Anderson Polga has been ruled out with suspected pulled thigh muscle, which he suffered at the weekend. The Scottish side, though, are hoping that their outstanding Spanish defender Carlos Cuellar will have fully recovered from a virus while striker Daniel Cousin will be aching to get on the pitch after making a full recovery from a broken jaw.
Fiorentina may have their eyes on earning a Champions League place next season, but the Viola are also dead keen to win the UEFA Cup.
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