Celta look to defy the odds

Celta may well regret not signing Tom Cruise before the January transfer window closed as they prepare for tonight’s semi-final mission impossible. No team has ever managed to overcome a 4-0 deficit in the Copa del Rey, but there’s a first time for everything and the Galicians are not ones to throw in the towel. Eduardo Berizzo has a clear plan: score, pick the ball out of the net and repeat. A simple instruction in theory but not the easiest to put into practice. The Balaídos faithful will be summoning the spirit of some of the club’s greatest nights, like the 4-0 against Juventus and the 7-0 rout of Benfica. The fans can even look back to this season’s 4-1 shock victory over Barcelona for a source of hope. “If we can stick four past the best team in the world, then why can’t we do the same against Sevilla?” is the logical reasoning reverberating through the Vigo streets in the run up to this game.

Sevilla already have a foot in the door of May’s final, which is expected to take place in Madrid. On the back of the resounding lead his players picked up in the first leg, Unai Emery will be looking to make sure they don’t fall into the trap of taking their eyes off the prize in tonight’s encounter. Only a catastrophe of monumental proportions could derail the Andalusian train’s journey to the Spanish capital to face Barcelona. But the reigning Europa League champions are well aware that one goal would be a real knock-out blow for their hosts so with that in mind, Emery will give three of his stalwarts a rest tonight: Rami, Kolo and N’Zoni. Berizzo has nothing to lose and will be set up with his strongest eleven. Balaídos will be on tenterhooks for this screening of Cup action. It remains to be seen if we’ll see an action movie or a documentary.