Champions League Preview: Legia Warsaw -v- Cork City

LEGIA WARSAW

Legia Warsaw come into their second leg clash with Cork City at the Polish Army Stadium in the UEFA Champions League (kick off 8pm) with a 1-0 lead.

Michal Kucharczyk's wonder strike with ten minutes to go settled the sides last week in Turners Cross, with the Polish giants needing a thirty yard cracker to break the City resistance.

Tonight will be a different task for the 2017/18 Polish double winners, with both sides having a stitched squad due to injuries and returning internationals.

“We do not treat this match as one of two parts,” Legia manager Dean Klafuric said.

“It is a new meeting for us and we are preparing ourselves as well as possible. We respect the Cork City team as [we do] every rival.”

New signing and the 2017/18 Ekstraklasa top scorer Carlitos is poised to start, with the respective players lining out in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Arka Gdynia in the Polish Super Cup.

Club captain Miroslav Radovic is also set to return, while other members of the 2018 World Cup squad, including Artur J?drzejczyk and striker Steiner Jaros?aw Niezgoda, are absent.

CORK CITY

All roads lead to Warsaw for Cork City as they ready themselves for a date with destiny when they take on Legia Warsaw in the UEFA Champions League (kick off 8pm).

Trailing 1-0 from last week’s home leg; City where handed a mountain to climb in Poland, following Michal Kucharczyk's wonder strike with ten minutes remaining.

City were not without chances, however A scuffed effort from Barry McNamee and a near miss from Graham Cummins left the Rebel Army frustrated at full time at Turners Cross.

Taking everything in account, John Caulfield weighed on the task but opportunities at hand,

“We know it is an uphill task,” he said in advance of the game.

“We are a goal down and we know the quality of Legia but, at the same time, we did create a number of chances in the first leg.

“We know they will dominate possession and we will have to defend really, really well.

“There is a belief within the team that, if we defend as well as we did the other night, we feel we can create opportunities,

“It is more about us making sure we can start the game well and defend properly. When we get the ball, it is crucial that we use it well, and hit them on the counter when the opportunity comes.

“No-one gives us a chance, but we believe within ourselves that, with a strong start to the game, anything is possible in football.”

City will walk out into the 31,000 capacity Polish Army Stadium, and Caulfield could not help but extend his excitement going into the tie.

“It’s a massive stadium and a much bigger pitch than Turner’s Cross, similar in size to the Aviva. I expect their game plan to be to try and stretch us and play through us.

“At the same time, I thought we gave a phenomenal performance the other night; we worked so hard, we limited them to long-range shots, but unfortunately one of them went in.

“The lads are brilliant, they’re looking forward to the game and the brilliant thing in sport is that there is always a day when the underdog does well.

“We know we are massive underdogs, we know we need to play as well as we can and, if we do that, you always have a chance.”

In team news, Gearóid Morrissey and Conor McCarthy will be out due to injuries sustained in the first leg.

Johnny Dunleavy and Colm Horgan are also out while Mark McNulty will be a subject to a late fitness test.

Referee: Kai Erik Steen (Norway).

BETTING

Legia Warsaw 2/7 Draw 4/1 Cork City 17/2.

PREDICTION

Legia Warsaw 2-0 Cork City.

Legia Warsaw:

Injured: Artur J?drzejczyk, Steiner Jaros?aw Niezgoda.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Cork City:

Injured: Gearóid Morrissey, Conor McCarthy and Colm Horgan.

Doubtful: Mark McNulty, Johnny Dunleavy.

Suspended: None.