Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar warns facing Juventus will be ‘very different’ to Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final, but they still feel ‘we can beat any team.’
The first leg of the Europa League semi-final kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium on Thursday at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).
Although the Bianconeri have a bigger budget, Sevilla are famously the most successful side in the history of the UEFA Cup and Europa League.
“We certainly have hopes and dreams going into this match. I am new to all this, but I am responsible for players who are accustomed to this type of fixture,” coach Mendilibar said in a press conference.
“They know how to deal with the situation. I am very excited about tomorrow’s game. The key will be a sense of calm in every moment, knowing how to deal with every minute of the match. We must not lose our calm or concentration.”
Sevilla eliminated Manchester United in the quarter-finals after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford and 3-0 victory in Spain, and Mendilibar warns this will be an extremely tight fixture.
“It won’t be the same as Manchester United, it will be a different type of football. Juve are not in great shape lately, but they are improving and after all are in the Europa League semi-final. They know how to deal with these competitions.
“When Juve have won recently, they have been with a small margin, making the most of the goals they have without getting unbalanced and trying to seek other goals. Perhaps this is the big risk we face, as we might dominate and then they’ll strike on the counter.”
The coach confirms Lucas Ocampos should start, while Fernando and Erik Lamela are also fully fit.
“We know that we can beat any team on our day, including Juventus.”
Both Sevilla and Juventus dropped down from the Champions League by finishing third in the group stage, as the Bianconeri were behind Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.
Sevilla then had to get past PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United to reach the semi-final.