Strasbourg vs Rayo Vallecano - prediction, team news, lineups

RC Strasbourg volition beryllium looking to nutrient different celebrated European comeback erstwhile they big Rayo Vallecano astatine the Stade de la Meinau connected Thursday evening successful the 2nd limb of their UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final.

The French broadside way by a azygous extremity from the archetypal limb and volition beryllium hopeless to overturn that shortage successful beforehand of their ain supporters, with a spot successful the club’s first-ever European last the prize connected offer.

Match preview

Strasbourg did not connection a large woody successful the opening limb of this Conference League semi-final, and the French broadside were fortunate to travel distant from that archetypal brushwood lone a extremity down - a constrictive borderline that astatine slightest keeps their hopes of reaching the last precise overmuch alive.

There were fewer positives to instrumentality from the archetypal leg, yet the astir important 1 is that Strasbourg stay successful this tie, and Gary O’Neil’s broadside volition beryllium good alert of what is imaginable erstwhile they execute to their capabilities astatine the Stade de la Meinau.

The hosts finished apical of the Conference League league signifier and person won 3 of their 5 location games successful the competition, with some exceptions ending successful draws alternatively than defeats - a grounds that underlines the fortress-like prime of the Meinau successful European shot this season.

The astir vivid illustration of what Strasbourg are susceptible of connected location ungraded came successful the quarter-final 2nd leg, erstwhile they produced a stunning 4-0 triumph implicit Mainz, having mislaid 2-0 successful Germany.

Domestic form, however, is simply a interest for O’Neil heading into Thursday’s fixture, with Strasbourg having mislaid 5 of their past 7 matches crossed each competitions, including 3 consecutive location defeats since beating Mainz successful the Conference League quarter-final.

The French broadside were beaten 2-1 by Toulouse astatine the Stade de la Meinau astatine the weekend, though O’Neil made 7 changes to his starting lineup for that fixture, resting cardinal players with Thursday’s 2nd limb intelligibly the priority.

Conceding astatine slightest doubly successful each of those caller location losses volition beryllium a root of anxiousness for the coaching staff, and Strasbourg volition request to beryllium considerably much defensively disciplined connected Thursday if they are to support their European ambitions alive.

The anticipation is that Strasbourg volition beryllium a much-improved broadside compared to past Thursday’s first-leg display, and with the backing of their location enactment and the representation of the Mainz comeback caller successful their minds, they clasp a genuine content that they tin crook this necktie around.

Rayo Vallecano get successful Strasbourg successful tenable shape, having secured a comfy 2-0 triumph implicit Getafe successful La Liga astatine the play to easiness immoderate lingering home concerns and displacement their afloat absorption to Thursday’s 2nd leg.

Inigo Perez besides rotated his squad for that fixture, suggesting the visitors are likewise treating this Conference League semi-final arsenic their superior nonsubjective arsenic the play reaches its climax.

The Spanish broadside clasp a 1-0 vantage from the archetypal leg, courtesy of Alemao’s goal, and portion that pb is slender, it means Rayo request lone debar decision successful Strasbourg to scope a European last for the archetypal clip successful the club’s history.

There volition beryllium immoderate vexation successful the Rayo campy that the pb is not much substantial, but they volition instrumentality encouragement from the information that they are successful beforehand - and they person erstwhile acquisition of navigating the second stages of this competition.

That experience, however, besides carries a cautionary note, with Rayo having mislaid second-leg fixtures successful each of their past 2 knockout rounds, falling to Samsunspor and AEK Athens respectively, suggesting they are not immune to the unit of defending a first-leg advantage.

Their distant grounds crossed each competitions has besides been a weakness, with 10 of their 12 La Liga defeats coming connected the road, and they mislaid 3 consecutive distant games earlier the play triumph astatine Getafe restored immoderate assurance successful their travelling performances.

Rayo are unbeaten successful 4 matches crossed each competitions since their 3-1 quarter-final second-leg decision astatine AEK Athens, winning 3 and drafting 1 during that run, and they volition beryllium hoping that momentum carries them done what promises to beryllium an aggravated and melodramatic evening successful Alsace.

This volition beryllium lone the 2nd competitory gathering betwixt these 2 clubs, with the archetypal having ended successful a 1-0 location triumph for Rayo successful the archetypal limb - making Thursday’s 2nd limb a genuinely unfastened contention with the imaginable of a archetypal European last for either nine providing each the information required.

Strasbourg Conference League form:

Strasbourg signifier (all competitions):

Rayo Vallecano Conference League form:

Rayo Vallecano signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Strasbourg could beryllium without Guela Doue, who has been sidelined with a microorganism and missed some the archetypal limb against Rayo and the play decision to Toulouse.

Aaron Anselmino is retired for the remainder of the play with a hamstring injury, portion Valentin Barco remains doubtful with an ankle occupation up of Thursday’s fixture.

Joaquin Panichelli has besides been ruled retired for the play aft suffering a cruciate ligament wounded successful March, adding to the database of absentees O’Neil indispensable negociate for the biggest crippled of Strasbourg’s European campaign.

O’Neil is expected to reconstruct the bulk of his cardinal players aft making 7 changes for the Toulouse defeat, with the likes of Julio Enciso, Diego Moreira and Martial Godo each pushing for recalls to the starting lineup.

Rayo volition beryllium without Luiz Felipe for the remainder of the play owed to a hamstring injury, though the visitors volition beryllium boosted by the availability of skipper Isi Palazon, whose seven-match prohibition applies lone to La Liga and does not transportation implicit to UEFA competition.

Perez is besides expected to callback respective of his first-choice players aft rotating the squad for the Getafe win.

Strasbourg imaginable starting lineup:

Penders; Hogsberg, Omobamidele, Doukoure, Chilwell; Ouattara, El Mourabet; Moreira, Nanasi, Godo; Enciso

Rayo Vallecano imaginable starting lineup:

Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Chavarria; Ciss, Palazon, Valentin, Lopez; De Frutos, Akhomach; Alemao

We say: Strasbourg 2-1 Rayo Vallecano (Strasbourg triumph connected Penalties)

Strasbourg’s location grounds successful this contention and the representation of their stunning Mainz comeback marque them unsafe opponents, and the backing of the Stade de la Meinau assemblage should thrust them to a affirmative start.

Rayo’s acquisition successful 2nd legs, however, and the prime of their attacking menace mean this necktie is acold from settled - but we backmost Strasbourg to borderline a choky contention and beforehand to the last connected penalties

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