Pocognoli thriving in Standard afterlife

Having lived to fight again after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League with AZ Alkmaar, R. Standard de Liège left-back Sebastien Pocognoli is looking forward to "a career highlight" as the Belgian side bid to eliminate Hamburger SV from the UEFA Europa League.

At 2-1 down following the quarter-final first leg at the Hamburg Arena, which will host the inaugural UEFA Europa League final on 12 May, Standard face a tough task in the decider at the Marcel Dufrasne stadium. However, the 22-year-old Pocognoli – who joined his boyhood side Standard from AZ after Les Rouches' Matchday 6 draw against his old side had ended the Dutch team's European campaign – is determined to enjoy his crack at reaching the last four.

"It was a huge disappointment to get knocked out with AZ, when goalkeeper Sinan Bolat scored the equaliser in added time, but now I am proud to be in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals with Standard," he said. "The fact Standard are here is a reward for the investments the club have made in recent years and for good performances on the pitch. For me personally this quarter-final is a highlight in my career."

The former KRC Genk player's corner set up Dieudonné Mbokani to open the scoring in the away leg on 1 April before Hamburg rallied, and he was clear about their task in the return. "For us the goal is straightforward: to avoid conceding and to score ourselves," he said. "Whether that happens in the first or final minute is not important for me. We know Hamburg are especially classy in attack, so we have to be very realistic and to show a killer instinct in the box."

The general consensus suggests that the odds are against Standard, but Pocognoli is not shrinking away. "I think it's 50-50," he said. "We got a very good result in the away match. Now we are at home and the chance is there." With Standard's success or failure potentially benefiting the whole of Belgium through their UEFA coefficient, Pocognoli added. "It will be an important match for the whole of Belgian football and the future."