AZ fear Dnipro, not Boro

AZ Alkmaar coach Louis van Gaal has identified Ukraine side Dnipro – rather than Middlesbrough – as his club’s biggest danger in the UEFA Cup group stage.

Current Dutch league leader AZ were today drawn in Group D alongside Boro, Grasshoppers of Switzerland, Bulgarian outfit Litex Lovech and Dnipro.

It was the Ukrainians who put out Scottish hopes Hibernian in the UEFA Cup first round to book their place in the group stage – and van Gaal is wary of the threat they pose.

“They have a 60% chance of going further in the UEFA Cup and we 40%,” he believes.

“It is very difficult to play against such a defensive side and win with a goal difference of two goals.

“We will storm their goal from the first minute and hope that offensive tactic will bring us a swift goal.”

AZ director Marcel Brands is, meanwhile, enthused by the prospect of facing Boro.

“There are two teams in our group that we wanted: iddlesbrough and Grasshoppers,” he said.

“The Ukraine and Bulgaria teams we would rather not have had.”