SOCCER-CHAMPIONS/SPORTING Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow prepare for their Champions League playoff round, first leg match

Record ID: 143660

  • Title: SOCCER-CHAMPIONS/SPORTING Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow prepare for their Champions League playoff round, first leg match
  • Date: 17th August 2015
  • Summary: ALCOCHETE, PORTUGAL (AUGUST 17, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SPORTING COACH JORGE JESUS WALKING ONTO PITCH SPORTING PLAYERS ARRIVING FOR TRAINING SESSION (LEFT TO RIGHT) ANDRE MARTINS, ANDRE CARRILLO AND ISLAM SLIMANI PLAYERS WALKING ONTO PITCH JORGE JESUS LISBON, PORTUGAL (AUGUST 17, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SPORTING COACH JOR
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Portugal
  • Country: Portugal
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA61QOHXW050G87MZMP0UK448KB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Sporting of Portugal trained on Monday (August 17) at their ground in Alcochete ahead of their Champions League play-off match against Russian side CSKA Moscow in Lisbon on Tuesday.
    With millions of euros' revenue, plus the prestige of a place in the group stage at stake, the playoffs often serve up more drama and tension than the group stage itself.
    The outcome can also have a significant impact on the rest of the season for clubs who miss out on the group stage windfall.
    "This round will not be decided tomorrow there's a second match to be played, but we know that tomorrow it's an important match because we play at our stadium with our supporters and beyond the sports result we also know the importance of this match financially," Sporting coach Jorge Jesus told a news conference.
    Champions League is the tournament with the best teams and Jesus wants his to be part of it, but knows that it will be difficult.
    "It's very important to continue in Champions League because it's where the best teams are, but our opponents also have the same ideas therefore we know that we will face a tough match because in my opinion any of the teams has chances to go through to the group stage." he said.
    Midfielder Joao Mario said that chances are 50-50.
    "It's an opponent with much experience, but we also have in our squad experienced players and the coach also has much experience, so I think it will be 50-50 and we are strong," said Mario.
    CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky also told reporters the squads are evenly matched.
    "In my opinion there's no favourites for tomorrow's match, teams are at same level so it is 50-50 and the fact that CSKA has played more matches at this time might not be very relevant in tomorrow's match."
    Despite Sporting Lisbon only having played two official matches so far this season, it's not a handicap for them, said Slutsky.
    "We watched four matches of Sporting with European squads, with Benfica and we have a good idea about their capacities," he said.
    CSKA trained in the afternoon at Alvalade stadium, a stadium of good memories for the Russian side, where they beat the home squad back in 2005 to win the UEFA Cup and captain Igor Akinfeev, who was at that match, wants to leave Lisbon with more good memories.
    "That's a fact that that victory stayed in our hearts and will be there forever, but we cannot live in the past, we must look forward and tomorrow we will try to create more situations that can also have a place in our hearts," Akinfeev said.
    CSKA leads the Russian League three points ahead of rival Zenith with five wins out of five matches.
    Slutskiy was appointed Russia's national coach at the beginning of the month on a short-term deal, replacing Fabio Capello on the job after his club gave him the go-ahead to combine the two roles.
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