The urn of Montecarlo, which drew the elimination rounds of the Europa League, was overall quite benevolent with the four Italian teams in contention, which they avoid all the Spanish and among the big names they only fish Liverpool and Tottenham (they touch Udinese and Lazio). Inter were placed in the first tier and he should fare without problems against Italian Bocchetti's Rubin Kazan, Partizan Belgrade and newcomer Neftçi from Baku, the first Azerbaijan team to participate in the Europa League. Even better went to Naples, who ran greater risks starting from the second tier and instead will only find difficulties with Van Bommel's Psv Eindhoven, but presumably much less against the Ukrainians of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and the Swedes of Aik Solna.
Bad draw instead for Udinese, who after the mockery of the elimination in the preliminary round of the Champions League will also have to sweat the qualification for the round of XNUMX of the Europa League. The Friulians were in the second tier like Mazzarri's team, but they found one of the most formidable seeds, the Liverpool of Suarez, Gerrard and Borini, and perhaps the most formidable of the fourth-rank formations: on the road for Guidolin's men there it will in fact be Samuel Eto'o's Anzhi. The Swiss of the Young Boys are more affordable. It can be said Lazio were also moderately satisfied, risking the iron group being inserted in the third urn: he will go to London to challenge Tottenham, then the Greeks of Panathinaikos and the Slovenians of Maribor. Difficult group, but not impossible.
INTER - Stramaccioni, making his absolute debut in a European competition with a senior team, thus draws the Rubin Kazan champion of Russia in 2008 and 2009, which has the former Genoa Italian defender Salvatore Bocchetti in its ranks and who crossed paths with the Nerazzurri already in the 2009-2010 Champions League, the one then won by Mourihno's men. Inter drew 1-1 away and won 2-0 at home. The other opponent is the Partizan Belgrade, not to be underestimated: the Serbs are extremely dangerous at home and still boast 191 European matches in their international curriculum. It's a the absolute first instead that of the Azeris of Neftçi, who in the qualifying round eliminated Apoel Nicosia returning from last year's triumphant experience in the Champions League, eliminated only by Real Madrid.
NAPLES - All eyes are obviously on the PSV Eindhoven, team to beat in an otherwise very affordable group. Dick Advocaat's men, eliminated in the round of XNUMX of the competition last season and who they have not won the Dutch title since 2007-2008, are no longer as strong as a few years ago but still count onexperience of the returning Mark Van Bommel and of Captain Toivonen and on the youth of an object of desire of Milan, 22-year-old Kevin Strootman, and 23-year-old Slovenian striker Tim Matavž. The Ukrainians from Dnipro, coached by the Spanish Juande Ramos, are less insidious: however, pay attention to the young home talent Yevhen Konoplyanka, 22 years old and former protagonist at Euro 2012, and the Ghanaian international Derek Boateng (no relation to the AC Milan player Kevin Prince). Aik Solna is participating in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, after hitting the Champions League for the first and so far only time, in 99-2000.
UDINESE – Francesco Guidolin has a bitter taste: he hasn't even finished digesting the atrocious disappointment for elimination from the Champions League, on penalties to the advantage of Sporting Braga, who also don't get very good news from Montecarlo. The Friulians find Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool, three times winner of the competition (the last in 2001) and about to play his 99th game in the tournament (he's at 55, with XNUMX wins). The dangerous men are known: from captain Steven Gerrard to Luis Suarez, from new signing Nuri Sahin to ex Roma player Fabio Borini. The third team drawn is lo Young Boys, third in the Swiss championship, while the other pitfall came from the fourth tier: there was the nightmare Eto'o, and Eto'o it was. Udinese will have to face a very long journey to Makhachkala, in Russia, where they will face Cameroon's Anzhi. Maybe it's just Eto'o's name that is realistically scary, but also pay attention to ex Chelsea player Yuri Zhirkov.
LAZIO - The Biancocelesti started in the third tier and therefore can't complain too much. The Tottenham they are always a great team but they have the unknown manager (that Villas Boas who completely failed with Chelsea last year), he hasn't started the Premier League very well and he has just sold one of his best players, Croatian Lukas Modric, to Real Madrid. However, beware of great names such as Gareth Bale, Rafael Van der Vaart and Emanuel Adebayor. Another opponent is the Panathinaikos, no longer as insidious as in the time of Djibril Cissè, then ended up right at Lazio for a brief and unhappy parenthesis. Finally, Petkovic's team will return to Maribor, Slovenia, after winning against Mura in the preliminary round, this time to face NK, definitely better but not unbeatable.
