Two Bulls lock horns, Milan in David v Goliath clash and Arsenal earn their air miles
Ian Hawkey takes a look at the main talking points from today’s opening Europa League group-stage fixtures
Two bulls in the same pen
No match will be under closer scrutiny as the Europa League group phase begins than RB Leipzig’s meeting with Red Bull Salzburg in Germany in Group B.
Until last year, Uefa, organisers of the competition, found that the corporate links between the two clubs, both financial beneficiaries of the energy-drink giant, Red Bull, were too close to permit them to play one another in their Cups because of the risk of a perceived compromise of sporting integrity.
Alterations to the company structures meant Uefa then gave their blessing, deeming that while the Bundesliga’s up-and-coming East Germans were essentially owned by Red Bull, Austria’s Salzburg were simply sponsored by the group, a distinction that preserved each club’s sporting autonomy.
Tonight is their first competitive meeting, although both clubs progressed far enough in last season’s Europa League that they only narrowly avoided a knockout tie there.
They are certainly not strangers. Ralf Rangnick, the Leipzig head coach, used to be sporting director of both clubs, while a dozen of the players in the two squads have served both clubs.
Celtic and Rosenborg, the others in Group B, will think it rather less lovable if they detect any hint of mutually convenient results in either of the bullfights between the clubs most fancied, on the basis of last season’s European form, to progress.
Milan in the home of the minnows
Gennaro Gattuso, head coach and ex-midfielder of AC Milan, played over a hundred European matches in a career of two Champions League triumphs, a World Cup win and several domestic medals. His opponent today, Dino Toppmoller, manages a club that has never before come as far as a group stage in any European competition.
No surprise then, that tickets for the Luxembourg champions Dudelange’s historic bow in the Europa League proper, against the mighty Milan, sold out in an hour.
Less than 9,000 were available for a fixture moved to the Luxembourg national stadium because Dudelange’s home ground can only hold 3,000odd. Which is no more seats than you’d expect in a town of barely 21,000 people.
Dudelange-Milan is perhaps the David versus Goliath fixture of the season: the seven-time European champions against debutants from the lowest of the Low Countries.
Alas for the minnows, it looks they will have no Ibrahimovic to release bold slingshots against the giants.
That is Senal Ibrahimovic - no relation to Zlatan – their Bosnian striker, who is recovering from injury. But they do have their Toppmoller, whose surname may ring a bell. Dino’s father, Klaus, coached Bayer Leverkusen all the way to the 2002 Champions League final.
Seville’s rival threat
Welcome back to European competition proper for Real Betis, who have been relegated and, even worse, seen the other half of their city defined as the heart of Europa League success since they played their last continental tie.
That was a last-16 derby in 2014 against Sevilla, who won it on penalties and went on to lift the trophy. And lift the next Europa League. And triumph in the next edition after that. Sevilla’s relative success in the last two Champions League seasons mean they have never defended their 2016 title, their third on the trot.
They can now, starting with tonight’s visit from Standard Liege. But neighbours Betis, who sit ahead of Sevilla in La Liga thanks to a victory in the derby earlier this month, would cherish nothing more than going further in Europe, where their campaign starts at Olympiakos, than their local rivals.
Derbies ahoy?
The capital of Andalucia is not the only city which might host a derby in the later stages. Glasgow’s Celtic and Rangers, the latter returning to European action after an eight-year absence, are both involved, as are the Istanbul pair Besiktas and Fenerbahce, and Londoners Chelsea and Arsenal, who might not mind too much having an extra derby on their schedule in the new year given the long distances they have to travel in the group phase.
Arsenal kick off at home tonight against Vorskla, and up ahead is the trip to Ukraine for the away game with Vorskla and an expedition to Baku – venue for the final – to play Qarabag. Those return journeys will, combined, put close to 10,000 miles on the clock.