PREVIEW: Manchester clubs light up Europa League

By John Bagratuni Feb 15, 2012, 9:38 GMT

Berlin - Ajax Amsterdam take on Manchester United and Porto meet Manchester City as Thursday's Europa League programme has more of a Champions League flair.

The four clubs were not good enough in this season's elite event and now have to make do with the second tier competition after coming third in their respective groups.

Their presence will give the Europa League, once famously dismissed as 'the cup of losers' by Bayern Munich icon Franz Beckenbauer, added attention in the round of 32, played this and next week, and beyond.

Olympiakos Piraues and Besiktas took a step towards the next round with away wins Tuesday at Rubin Kazan and last season's runners-up Braga, respectively.

The remaining 14 games are on Thursday, with holders Porto facing a daunting task against the Premier League leaders City.

While Ajax, Porto and United share a total 14 European trophies, City just have a Cup Winners' title from 42 years back in 1970.

Manager Roberto Mancini told the Sunday Mirror that big-spending City are hungry for success on every stage, given their modest track record at home and in Europe.

'We want to win the Europa League because it is an important trophy,' Mancini said.

'It is a long time since Manchester City won a trophy in Europe. 'Last season we won the FA Cup after a long time and winning a European trophy would be a big step for the club.'

Yaya and Kolo Toure may play in Porto despite fatigue and disappointment after losing the Africa Cup of Nations final with Ivory Coast on penalties against Zambia on Sunday.

Porto recently lost for the first time in 55 matches in the league and coach Vitor Pereira is well aware of the task ahead of them.

'If we want to defend our title, we have to understand that facing Manchester City now or towards the end of the competition is the same. They are opponents that excite us but we have our strengths, too,' he said.

English champions United and their manager Sir Alex Ferguson are yet to lift the trophy of the competition formerly know as the UEFA Cup.

Like Mancini and City, Ferguson and United are taking the Europa League seriously even though forward Javier Hernandez admitted it feels 'a bit strange' to be in this competition.

'I'm definitely treating it seriously. The thing is to look forward to it. It's still European football and still a good standard,' said Ferguson.

The third English side, Stoke, also face a big challenge when they take on Spain's Valencia at home first.

Valencia have a long injury list, but goalkeeper Vicente Guaita is fit again and has warned his team to be at its best.

'Stoke are going to be difficult opponents, because their throw-ins are like corners, everybody knows that. We will have to be very careful with them,' said Guaita.

All three Spanish clubs are away from home, with Athletic Bilbao at Lokomotiv Moscow and resurgent 2010 champions Atletico Madrid at Italy's Lazio in another big-name tie.

Atletico are unbeaten, without conceding a goal, since Diego Simeone took over as coach in December. Players and officials will visit the Vatican City for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI ahead of the game in which Simone faces the club he formerly played for.

'We are looking very solid in defence,' said Simeone. 'But we need to score more goals, by putting away the chances that we are creating. We have not scored enough goals recently.'

lazio coach Edy Reja is not afraid, saying: 'We are Lazio and will try to beat Atletico Madrid. We want to go as far as possible also in the Europa League.'

Of other former champions, Germany's Schalke are at Poland's Plzen, RSC Anderlecht visit Dutch side Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven are in Turkey at Trapzonspor.