'Smells like an all-Spanish final'
Friday, April 27, 2007
Article summary
The Spanish press feel an all-Primera División UEFA Cup final is on the cards, following heroic displays from RCD Espanyol and unheralded CA Osasuna.
Article body
The Spanish press clearly feel an all-Primera División UEFA Cup final is on the cards, but were surprised by CA Osasuna's irreverent treatment of the holders.
Shock results
With RCD Espanyol taking a 3-0 lead against Werder Bremen in the only UEFA Cup final to involve a non-Spanish side, Marca confidently predicted: "It smells like an all-Spanish final." However, it has come as a surprise to some that the achievements of Osasuna and Espanyol were being lauded in the morning editions rather than those of champions Sevilla FC and Bremen.
'Nearly in Glasgow'
Goals from Moisés Hurtado, Walter Pandiani and Ferrán Corominas saw Espanyol take control of their tie against former UEFA Champions League group stage contenders Bremen, who were hot tips to reach the final. "Nearly in Glasgow," read the headline in El Mundo Deportivo, while Diario AS led with a similar, albeit slightly less optimistic, "Halfway to Glasgow".
The 'L' word
With Espanyol having famously let a 3-0 first-leg lead slip in the final of the 1987/88 UEFA Cup against another German side, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, going down 3-0 at the BayArena and losing their chance to lift trophy on penalties, there was still a note of caution in some quarters. Marca noted that the club had been "forbidden from thinking about Leverkusen".
Bremen gloom
Thinking about Leverkusen may be one way for Thomas Schaaf to lift his side after their miserable display in Barcelona. Bild wrote: "The cup is already gone." Local paper Weser Kurier was even more scathing, writing: "They lost the first leg 3-0 and it was not undeserved - it will be remembered as a major disgrace in the club's history books."
Pamplona heroics
Meanwhile, new heroes emerged in Pamplona as Osasuna won 1-0 against title-chasing Sevilla thanks to Roberto Soldado's header. The Andalusian side have not won at the Reyno de Navarra stadium in four years, but most agreed that Osasuna's display merited a more emphatic first-leg scoreline. "Osasuna devoured the champions," concluded Diario AS.
