FC Anzhi Makhachkala v Newcastle – Europa League match preview

Anzhi v Newcastle
Anzhi v Newcastle
Newcastle continue their Europa League adventure by travelling to Russia to take on Anzhi Makhachkala in this Round of 16 tie.

The venue should have been the 30,000 capacity Dynamo Stadium in Makhachkala but due to armed conflict in the Dagestan region of Russia UEFA have banned Anzhi from playing their home games at home and alternative venues have been used.

The venues in question have all been in Moscow with the 28,800 Lokomotiv Stadium being used for the group stage of the competition before a switch to the larger 78,000 capacity Luzhniki Stadium for the knockout rounds. Playing “home” games 1,000 miles away from home appears to be an issue for the fans – only 12,000 were present to watch the victory over Bundesliga side Hanover – but it doesn’t appear to be an issue for the players who have a 100% record on “home” soil in the Europa League with six clean sheets in seven games and just one goal conceded so far.

Like us, Anzhi finished as runners up in their group behind Liverpool who have now exited the competition. Bankrolled by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov and with former Brazil defender Roberto Carlos as Director of Football working with Guss Hiddink at a coaching level, Anzhi have spent over £150 million since the start of 2011 which has allowed them to sign players like Samuel Eto’o, who earns a reported £350,000 a week.

Newcastle:

Papiss Cisse could miss the game with an illness. These illnesses seem to crop up for a lot of Europa League matches. Fabricio Coloccini is out as is Tim Krul, Haris Vuckic and Ryan Taylor remain sidelined while Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran are ineligible for this competition.

Dan Gosling is available for selection but the biggest news is that Hatem Ben Arfa could make his return after being left out against Swansea although I suspect we’ll see Benny brought off the bench after so long out.

Previously…

There is no history between the two sides and this will constitute as the first competitive game between the two clubs. Anzhi are currently 2nd in the Russian Premier League and, like Metalist Kharkiv, are on a winter break which is scheduled to end after this game but before the return leg at St James’ Park. They too have been keeping in shape via a series of training camps and friendly matches.

Stats and facts:

Mike Williamson will make his 100th appearance for United if he gets called into action either as unlikely starter or as a substitute.

Shola Ameobi will go looking for his 16th European goal for United. He’s miles behind Alan Shearer who notched 30 continental goals for Newcastle but it’s still not a bad contribution from the Mackem slayer.

This will be our 131st European game. To date we’ve won 73 games, lost 30 and drawn the other 27 matches.

The game will be played on a plastic pitch – or artificial surface as they are known these days and United have never won on such a surface having played on it at Luton, QPR and Oldham previously.

Who to watch:

You have to look at the Anzhi attack and start to worry. Expensively assembled they may be but they do the job and score goals. In fact they’ve already notched 26 times compared to United’s 10 (and that includes the qualifying rounds!) so we need to be wary.

Samuel Eto’o is well known. Pace, power, accuracy and a CV that many a player would be proud of including League titles and Champions League winners medals, but he isn’t the only avenue of attack for Anzhi. How about Lacina Traoré, the 6′ 8″ Ivory Coast striker who has scored five goals in the Europa League to add to the nine Eto’o has contributed.

Behind them they have highly-rated Brazilian playmaker Willian who recently signed from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk and can provide the bullets for the two strikers to fire and you can start to understand why they score goals. The focus is clearly on attack with the Russians hence the signing of Willian rather than the replacing of Chris Samba who left Anzhi in January.

That’s not to say they didn’t boost their defensive ranks as Bosnian Emir Spahić was brought in on loan from Sevilla, and with former Real Madrid defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra patrolling in front of the back four don’t expect Anzhi to be too shabby at the back either!

Final thought:

I’m still very mindful of our need for Premier League points and have generally been quite negative about our participation in this competition. But you know what? Stuff it, we won’t get this chance again next season unless we win the **** thing so why not go for it!

To get through we’re going to need an away goal for sure in my opinion. A narrow defeat is not the end of the world providing we get an away goal which as highlighted previously is going to be a tough ask. I don’t buy this “mid-season break” stuff meaning that they are going to to be tired. They’ll be ready and up for this and with Guss Hiddink guiding them it will be a tough ask.

All we can do is give it our best shot and as long as we’ve given that I’ll be happy. We can’t ask for much more so go on lads, give it all you’ve got!

Howay the lads!

Date: Thursday, 7th March, 2013

Time: 5pm UK time – An early start live on ITV4 so don’t forget!

Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

167 thoughts on “FC Anzhi Makhachkala v Newcastle – Europa League match preview

  1. MDS, hit em o.k mate, not as good as the overly high and unrealistic expectations I put on myself 🙂 🙂 Yeah a Melbourne trip would be nice. I heard a couple of lads talking about a trip they did to China, they raved about how good it was….. either way I would need some serious refinancing as well… 🙂 🙂

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  2. Ice@97 😆

    I’m feeling a shola wonder goal, it’s due time, he will beat five men with his wizardry donkey toes, you’ll all see 😀

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  3. Colo out until May? ****** hell what a donkey, who bicycle kicks and injures themselves that badly, unless they’re like 90?

    Still remember our squad saying he was our most technical player…good one 😆

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  4. I can see Taylor doing himself in for the season this match as well, then we’ll be right up the creek 😕

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  5. Benny is a pisces ,that’s why he’s so fluid 😉 there that’s you’re astrological bollocks for the day 😀 😉

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  6. Effin hell Colo out for season ,we can’t catch a break with injuries this year can we. God Ihope Mbiwa is as good as they say ,we sure need him now.

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  7. Ice-Keep the faith 😛

    Kim-Yep, we’ll see him next Jan when, after cancelling his contract allowing him to sign for the argies in the summer, they sell him to Liverpoolfor a cheeky 5mil profit 😐

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  8. Newkie ,Pretty sure Ash would have that prospect covered ,if we thought of that scenario he must of . I would insert a massive sell on clause to try and make it as difficult as possible for them to get owt for him and if they did we’d be quids in. 😉

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  9. he’s been allowed to go to argentina for a week, not for treatment, they just have to let the bones heal, no one knows how long he’ll be out for, reports said 3-7 weeks

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  10. that’s why benny is as slippery as a fish then kim 😀

    i’ll get my coat

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  11. Kim-but you can only put the clause in if we sell him, if we cancel his contract he can do what he likes. I just don’t get it though, still don’t see why we’d let him go for free. He still just needs to man up for me.

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  12. Big game tonight. If we have pace around Ameobi it wont be too bad. Just embarrassing that we only have Cisse and Shola as 1st team strikers. Gouffran was cup tied and this was always going to be a problem.

    Bit dodgy this game we could play full team and still get walloped.

    My guess is:

    Elliot
    Simpson Mbiwa Taylor Haidara
    Anita Tiote
    Sissoko Cabaye Marv
    Shola

    Bring HBA on at 60mins if were still in game.

    after pickin that team, i realise its pretty defensive and Ameobi wont relieve the pressure as much as some one who can run would, but if we can keep the ball better than usual then we may get some joy of a knock down or cross.

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  13. Newkie @164 ,Aye that’s true . I would be angry if we agreed to terminate his contract though.

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  14. Could be worse as I see it, they are 1000 miles from ‘home’ and at a neutral ground, although they have a good ‘home’ record still. 12,000 people in a 78,000 stadium will feel a bit sparse and surely can’t be that intimidating. They have also had a winter break, like Metalist so won’t be fully up to speed either. Of course some of the quality players they have like Eto’o could just turn it in their favour in an instant but so could someone like Sissoko. They are a step up from Metalist but we are a step up from Hanover for them as well, as Hiddink has acknowledged. At the very least I hope we give a good account of ourselves and get a result to build upon at home. (Although I think just as in the last round the game could be won home or away for both sides, their players could play better at SJP in my opinion)

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