Lisbon hosts UEFA EURO 2004™ repeat

Sporting Clube de Portugal start their group campaign with a home game against Panionios NFC, which will be the first game between the clubs in UEFA club competitions.

Anniversary
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sporting’s only European success, with their win in the 1964 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. Sporting beat MTK Budapest (now MTK Hungária FC) 1-0 in a replayed final at Antwerp after a 3-3 draw at Brussels. Though this will be Sporting’s 171st game in the UEFA club competitions, this will be their first meeting with Greek opposition.

Disciplinary woes
In the first round, the Lisbon club overcame SK Rapid Wien with a 2-0 win in the first leg with late goals from Brazilians Tinga and Liedson, followed by a 0-0 draw at Vienna. But, in both matches, Sporting had to play with 10-men following the dismissals of Anderson Polga at Lisbon and Hugo in the return leg.

Bounce back?
Despite the national team’s success at UEFA EURO 2004™, all three Greek club sides lost their opening group games in the new format of the UEFA Cup. However, a return to Lisbon, the scene of Greece's UEFA EURO 2004™ triumph may inspire the Athenians. Panionios, who began their group programme with a 1-0 home loss to Newcastle United FC after Alan Shearer had converted a late penalty, will be looking for a positive response from their trip to Portugal. They will still be heartened by their first round win over Serie A club Udinese Calcio, when a hat-trick of headers from defenders Travis Dodd, and a double from Panagiotis Giannapoulos, gave the Greek club a priceless 3-1 home advantage, which enabled them to progress to the group stage 3-2 on aggregate after a narrow loss at Udine.