City won’t take Europa minnows Aris lightly

MANCHESTER CITY insist they will be on their guard against Aris Thessaloniki in the first knock-out round of the Europa League knowing the Greek side have already accounted for the trophy’s holders.

Aris are only sixth in the Greek league but they beat Atletico Madrid home and away in the group phase.

City’s football administrator Brian Marwood said: “They have an extremely experienced coach in Hector Cuper, he did a good job at Valencia and Inter Milan, so these will be two games we will be taking extremely seriously.

“Beating the current holders twice in the group stages is no mean feat, and we will not be underestimating them.”

Cuper, from Argentina, is vastly experienced and like City boss Roberto Mancini once managed Inter Milan. Marwood added: “It’s two former Inter Milan coaches going head to head and I’m looking forward to it.”

In other matches involving British sides, there is a clash between Liverpool and Sparta Prague, while Rangers have a tougher-looking test against Sporting Lisbon.

Liverpool drew four of their six games in the group phase but in Sparta they will face a side who have proved equally difficult to beat, having drawn three of their group matches.

If they get through, City will face Besiktas or Dynamo Kiev in the last 16, while Liverpool would face Lech Poznan or FC Braga. If Rangers progress, they would face Lille or PSV Eindhoven.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said he will field his strongest possible team in the knock-out rounds.

“By that stage of the season we’ll be playing three matches a week and I won’t have the luxury I have had so far of sometimes sparing players in the Europa League,” he said.

“We’re at the knock-out stage now. It will be important to put out our best team every time if we want to go further in the competition.”

Europa League (Rd of 32): Napoli v Villarreal, Rangers v Sporting Lisbon, Sparta Prague v Liverpool, Anderlecht v Ajax, Lech Poznan v Braga, Besiktas v Dynamo Kiev, Basle v Spartak Moscow, Young Boys v Zenit St Petersburg, Aris Thessaloniki v Man City, PAOK v CSKA Moscow, Sevilla v Porto, Rubin Kazan v FC Twente, Lille v PSV Eindhoven, Benfica v Stuttgart, BATE v Paris St Germain, Metalist Kharkiv v Bayer Leverkusen.

Rd of 16 draw: Benfica/Stuttgart v BATE/PSG; Besiktas/Dynamo Kiev v Aris Thessaloniki/Man City; Rubin Kazan/FC Twente v Young Boys/Zenit; PAOK/CSKA Moscow v Sevilla/Porto; Lille/PSV v Rangers/Sporting Lisbon; Metalist Kharkiv/Leverkusen v Napoli/Villarreal; Anderlecht/Ajax v Basle/Spartak Moscow; Sparta Prague/Liverpool v Lech Poznan/Braga.