On 14th of September 2010 Bursaspor and Valencia CF meet in the Atatürk stadium. The referee is Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR). Bursaspor will enjoy a milestone night whatever the outcome of their Group C opener against Valencia CF, for this is their first ever match in the UEFA Champions League. Ertuğrul Sağlam's charges are the first team from outside Istanbul to have claimed the Turkish title since 1984 and, ignoring their dalliance with the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1995, have not won a match on the European stage for 36 years.
In contrast Valencia return to the UEFA Champions League after a two-season absence for their seventh campaign in the group stage.
Bursaspor are competing in a major UEFA club competition for the first time since a first-round loss to eventual winners AFC Ajax in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Their only previous victories in Europe came in 1974/75 when home successes against Finn Harps FC (4-2) and Dundee United FC (1-0) carried them to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, where they fell to home (0-1) and away (0-2) losses against an FC Dynamo Kyiv side that would also go on and claim the trophy. Unai Emery's Valencia performed impressively on their travels in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League, suffering just one defeat in seven away matches – although they won only two – before succumbing on away goals to eventual winners Club Atlético de Madrid in the quarter-finals.
Group C – matchday 1: Bursaspor vs Valencia CF
Date: 14th of September 2010 20:45 (CET)
Stadium: Bursa Atatürk
Referee: Svein Oddvar Moen (NOR)
Bursaspor:Keeper: Ivankov;
Defenders: Ali Tandoğan, Stepanov, İbrahim Öztürk, Gökçek Vederson
Midfielders: Hüseyin Çimşir, Volkan Şen, Insúa, Ergić, Ozan İpek
Forwards: Sercan Yıldırım
Coach: Ertuğrul Sağlam
Injured: Turgay Bahadır
Booked: -
Valencia CF: Keeper: César
Defenders: Miguel, Maduro, Ricardo Costa, Alba
Midfielders: Albelda, Banega, Joaquín, Mata, Vicente
Forwards: Aduriz
Coach: Unai Emery
Injured: Éver Banega, Vicente Rodríguez, Roberto Soldado
Booked: -
We expect a temperature of 20° on Thursday and there will be rain. The referee Svein Oddvar Moen is a very experienced referee and who had his debut in European competitions in the season 2004/05.
This will be the first game between this two teams.
Bursaspor has started the season very impressive. 4 wins in 4 games and only 1 goal attempted. Valencia has won also 2 of 2 games in the Primera Division. Both teams are in a good form. It will be a very interesting game but I expect fewer than 2,5 goals.
For
under 2,5 goals the best odds are at
mybet, bwin and
bet365.
