Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

After Barca show, Sevilla ready to surprise Bayern Munich at home

- Agence FrancePres­se sportsdesk@hindustant­imes.com

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has said there were no celebratio­ns when his players watched the Champions League draw come out but Sevilla head into Tuesday’s tie as the overwhelmi­ng underdogs of the quarter-finals.

Only Roma, who play Barcelona on Wednesday, might claim to face a more formidable task in the last eight but the Italians have at least grown familiar with the competitio­n’s knock-out rounds in recent seasons.

This will be Sevilla’s first ever appearance in a Champions League quarter-final.

“The team was not euphoric [at the draw],” Heynckes said. “They reacted very calmly, as though they just had a beer.

“Of course, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City are playing very well, Liverpool are playing well, but we had five English teams through and we were talking about the best league in the world — three of them are gone. So we must take these guys seriously.” Sevilla were responsibl­e for the least expected blow landed on the Premier League after they dumped out Man United in the last 16 following a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

It was also the high point of a topsy-turvy three months since Vincenzo Montella took charge mid-season. There have been the home and away victories over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey and an early, thumping win at Espanyol. But there were also the five goals conceded to all three of Eibar, Real Betis and Atletico in the league, as well as a 2-0 loss at home to Valencia, which all-but ended any hopes of finishing in the top four.

Sevilla’s 2-2 draw at home to Barcelona on Saturday night was, in 90 minutes, a snapshot of Montella’s reign so far.

Brilliant for 87 minutes, they led 2-0 and looked certain to inflict Barca’s first La Liga defeat of the season, only to throw it away in two disastrous minutes at the end.

SEVILLE:

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