Strasbourg (AFP)

Strasbourg, which has found the elite of French football just two years ago, hopes to create the surprise in the European Championships play-offs on Thursday (20.30) against Eintracht Frankfurt, semi-finalist of the competition last spring.

Israeli tribesmen Maccabi Haifa (3-1, 1-2) and Bulgarians Lokomotiv Plovdiv (1-0, 1-0) in previous rounds, Alsatians now have a much higher hurdle that stands between them and the group stage of the C3, that they dream to find after 13 years of absence.

The German team, eliminated on penalties on the doors of the final in May by Chelsea, the future winner, had rejected in his career the Chakhtior Donetsk, Inter Milan and Benfica. They finished 7th in the Bundesliga after a long time in qualifying for the Champions League.

"Everyone will have to raise their standards because Frankfurt is a team used to this kind of match, that's where we have a small deficit, recognizes the Strasbourg coach Thierry Laurey. we are not favorites but we have the same desire to qualify as the Frankfurt players. "

The meeting with the German neighbor has triggered a big craze and the atmosphere at the Meinau, which should be sold out for this poster, looks grandiose.

"It's a big game, it's something that is exciting, but do not make it a mountain anyway.I do not want to put unnecessary pressure on the shoulders," says the Alsatian technician.

To hope to worry the Eintracht, the RCSA will have to be as solid as in his last matches (a goal conceded in four games) and add efficiency to his often interesting performances.

"We know that we can produce a good game so we do not have to beat it, we will have to lose as few balls as possible, be careful against the backs and be strong defensively," said center-back Alexander Djiku.

"We will not have to watch them too much, we will be able to play, we will not be asleep by this team and try to commit as few technical errors as possible because it is a good team to exploit the losses of opponents' ball, "adds Laurey.

Frankfurt, who have finally signed the former Paris GS goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, this summer seems a little weaker than last year since he lost in the offseason his two forwards, the Serb Luka Jovic (17 goals in championship, 10 in the Europa League) and the French Sebastien Haller (15 goals in the Bundesliga, 5 in C3). In Strasbourg to enjoy ...

© 2019 AFP