Petrolul Ploiesti v Swansea City - Match preview, team news, statistics & analysis

The Match

Petrolul will be looking to put in a professional shift in front of their home fans, but in truth all but their most deluded of fans will have foregone any kind of hope that was once attached to this fixture given the manner of the first leg's defeat. While their league form remains solid (another win this weekend saw them climb to third and remain unbeaten after six games) overturning a four goal deficit will surely be too much to ask. 

Swansea have some injury worries to contend with for the first time this season, while they also have one eye on the West Brom game this weekend. It's likely we'll see heavy rotation with a number of players nursing problems, but they'll still be looking to put in a shift and come away with a win which will breed confidence - and given we're still chasing our first points in the league games like this offer an invaluable opportunity to build momentum when otherwise we'd still be licking our wounds until the next league fixture. 

Prior Form (Most recent at top)

Liga I                          Astra Giurgiu         1 - 2    Petrolul Ploieşti

Europa League          Swansea                5 - 1   Petrolul Ploiesti

Liga I                          Petrolul Ploieşti 1 - 1    Ceahlăul Piatr
Liga I                          Oţelul Galaţi          1 - 2    Petrolul Ploieşti
Europa League          Vitesse                  1 - 2    Petrolul Ploieşti

Premier League          Tottenham             1 - 0   Swansea
Europa League           Swansea              5 - 1    Petrolul Ploiesti
Premier League          Swansea              1 - 4   Manchester United   
Europa League           Malmö FF              0 - 0   Swansea
Europa League           Swansea              4 - 0    Malmö FF

Team News

Petrolul, according to the internet, will only be without midfielder Laurentiu Marinescu - out for a while with a cruciate injury. Romanian football websites don't provide too much information if I'm honest...

Swansea have got a number of doubts, to the point where Ashley Williams (knee), Jonjo Shelvey (knee) and Wilfried Bony (ankle) will miss the trip to Romania. Hopefully they're all precautionary moves, and there seems to be some hope they'll all be available for this weekend's PL match. Nathan Dyer remains out with a hamstring injury while Neil Taylor faces a few weeks on the sidelines after suffering a haematoma (severe bruising) on his thigh. 

Completely guessed lineups

As for Petrolul, last time out they went with a lineup of: Pecanha, Geraldo, Benga, Guilherme, Achim, Grozav, Boudjemaa, Hoban, Filipe Teixeira, Mustivar, Younes. I'd be lying if I said I knew enough about them to make any kind of predictions as to what team they'll put out but as I'm guessing they put out a first choice team in the first leg, so it's hard to imagine the team differing too much. 

Statistics & Trivia

• Swansea are unbeaten in the Europa League so far (W2 D1), while Petrolul's 5-1 defeat to the Swans was their first in the competition. 
• Petrolul Ploiesti have scored in 5 consecutive matches in the Europa League.
• So far the Swans have scored 9 goals in the competition, conceding just one.
• Despite re-signing for the Swans, Dwight Tiendalli hasn't made the squad for tonight's match.
• Petrolul have scored in all of their matches this season.
• Petrolul have scored most of their goals between the 76th and 90th minutes this season.
• A win for the Swans will see them progress to the group stages of the competition, where they could face any number of illustrious opponents.

Straight from the horse's mouth

Swansea midfielder (and captain for the night) Leon Britton feels the squad appreciate the need to put on a professional display of football:

"I will not need to say too much. All the lads know that the job is only half done, so we have got to be professional. It is similar to when we went to Malmo in the previous round. We were 4-0 up from the first leg, but we were very professional throughout the 90 minutes and we came away with a positive result. 

"We are 5-1 up this time, but we want to do the same sort of thing again. The competition in the squad is very intense and, for all the lads who are here, this is an opportunity to impress the manager and to grab the shirt. We are not there yet [the group stages], but it would be fantastic if we could get through to the groups. That was the target for us and, if we get there, we will have another six European games to look forward to. 

"There will be some big teams in the draw for the groups, and it will be great for the football club if we are in there, and it is the same for the players. A lot of us have never played at this level before, and it would be great to test ourselves against some top-quality sides." Leon Britton

Quotes taken from http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story-19720553-detail/story.html?#ixzz2dM0nFG8j 

1st Leg Highlights

 

Analysis

Firstly, does anyone find it interesting that three of the players who featured in international fixtures prior to the season opener against United are missing out with niggly injuries? It seems that despite the early stage of the season we're already paying the price of a hectic fixture list, but hopefully Jonjo, Ash & Wilfried Bony will all be fine by the time we travel to West Brom. 

Given the likelihood we're to see a much-changed Swansea XI a lot of people would take that at face value, and expect it to mean we'll be less competitive. Not so. Leon Britton is set to start in midfield and in a game like this he will absolutely run the show. He did it last time out, and my one concern is that if he's starting tonight he won't be featuring against West Brom. That's a worry to me, but it's also a rant for another time.

Expect the Swans to retain possession from the off, and for Jordi Amat to look like a classy operator in defence alongside his compatriot Chico Flores. They'll look to keep out Gheorghe Grazov, who scored that goal late on last time around. Hopefully there'll be no repeat of that this time. Interestingly, if you want to back the same 5-1 scoreline that we finished with last time (to the Swans) you can do so at 100-1! Seems a bit long! You never know...

Honesty? I'm pretty confident about this game. I'll go with either 0-0 or a big Swans win, and for Leon to get MOTM. You heard it here first. 

(VIDEO) Swansea 5 - 1 Petrolul - Highlights & Match Report

Swans ease to victory in first leg of Europa League Playoff Round

Considering the televisual warmup to this match included Dinamo Tbilisi being humbled 5-0 at their patch by Spurs, Swansea fans could have been forgiven for thinking their team would play out a slightly less goal-laden affair. Not so. The Swans showed from the first minute they were intent on putting pressure on the visitors, and from the opening exchanges it was fairly clear there was likely to be one winner on the night.

Wayne Routledge and Pablo Hernandez looked electric all night, and most of what Swansea did well ended up going through them. Appropriately, most of the goals involved the Swansea wingers, and we didn't have too long to wait as in the 13th minute Wayne Routledge sidefooted home (via a deflection) after Michu had cleverly dummied Pablo's cutback.

Next up, it was Routledge and Hernandez again involved in the buildup. Routledge got free on the left and floated a ball to the back post where the Spaniard was in acres of space. His shot cannoned back off the keeper, and Michu had the simple task of prodding home from a yard into the roof of the net.

They reversed roles again - this time in the 24th minute. Michu regained possession, which allowed Leon to play Pablo in down the right, and he picked out Routledge at the back post excellently, who dived in to head home. 3-0, and realistically game over. There was still time for Michu to play Routledge through for what would have been his hat-trick before the whistle was blown for half-time, however he smashed his shot when a placed effort may have been more wise and his shot clipped the top of the bar before going over.

At half time Petrolul made one substitute, but it was more of the same from the home side. They continued to retain possession and test for openings. Wilfried Bony was picked out well by that man Pablo again, took a neat touch around his marker into space, but his finish cracked off the underside of the bar. Almost a fantastic finish.

Routledge departed for Alejandro Pozuelo in the 60th minute, but not before having a hand in anther goal. Drifting in from the left, he delayed until Michu made a run into the left channel and fed the Spaniard coolly, before he in turn squared for Bony, whose finish rebounded off the goalkeeper and rolled over the line. 4-0, with an hour gone, and very much job done.

Jonathan De Guzman made a surprise return after suffering concussion on international duty, and was involved immediately. He wandered across the box, before slipping it to Michu, who again turned provider and played a cute pass to Pozuelo, who'd found space in the centre of a ravaged Petrolul defence. He advanced on the keeper and waited until he'd gone to ground before dinking the ball over him for 5-0, which meant the Swans had matched Spurs efforts of earlier in the night. Many had hoped for that before the game, but few would have predicted it given how little we know of our opponents.

Jordi Amat then replaced Ashley Williams, but there was still one incident of note. Late, late on a hopeful cross from the left into the Swansea box fell to Gheorghe Grazov, who produced an incredible overhead kick into the bottom corner of Vorm's net. The Swansea keeper didn't even move; it really was an outstanding goal.

Overall, a return to form for the Swans. Shelvey was excellent throughout and didn't attempt nearly as many Hollywood passes as we've quickly come to expect, and if he can operate like that more often he'll go on to be a fantastic player indeed, while all over the park the Swans carried out their roles almost to perfection. Leon, Ashley Williams, Chico, Neil Taylor and Angel Rangel all had stand out games, and given almost everyone I haven't mentioned there got on the scoresheet that should give you a fair idea about the calibre of the performance, even if some of the opposition defending left a lot to be desired.

Spurs next then - the battle of this year's Premier League representatives in the Europa League. Thankfully, it looks like we won't have to deal with Gareth Bale, but that is unlikely to seriously damage a team who've signed a host of world class players this summer. If we can stop Roberto Soldado scoring, that'll be half the battle.

Onwards and upwards then! Three away games in a row, too. Spurs, Petrolul, then West Brom. I'd settle for two wins out of three, I'll be honest...