Kevin Gameiro shapes as the key man for Sevilla as they
prepare to host Porto in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg.
Sevilla lost the first leg in Portugal 1-0 last week but
should be confident of overturning that deficit on Thursday as they have won
five of their past six games at home in all competitions.
As one of the leading goal-scorers left in the Europa
League this season, Gameiro has the pedigree to perform at continental level
and showed he was in fine touch in Sevilla's La Liga encounter on Sunday.
Sevilla thrashed Espanyol 4-1 in the league with Gameiro
scoring twice.
Gameiro has scored eight goals in Sevilla's past 13
games.
The 26-year-old Frenchman controlled Vitolo's cross on
the stroke of half-time on Sunday before volleying into the net, while his
second came in the 84th minute with a sharp finish after a one-two with Marko
Marin.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker has four goals in
the Europa League proper this season (plus one in the qualifying stages) - level
with Valencia's Paco Alcacer as the most prolific goal-scorer whose side has
yet to be eliminated.
Red Bull Salzburg striker Jonathan Soriano is on top of
the goal-scoring charts with eight.
Porto won the first leg thanks to a diving header from
skipper Eliaquim Mangala, who got on the end of Ricardo Quaresma's cross.
But in a blow for the 2011 Europa League champions, they
will have to do without Brazilian midfielder Fernando in the second leg, after
he was sent off with three minutes to go in Porto.
Porto warmed up for their trip to Spain with a 3-1
victory over Academica in Liga Sagres, the fourth win in five games for Luis
Castro's men.
The Portuguese club also won the Europa League's predecessor,
the UEFA Cup, in 2003, while Sevilla won that competition twice - in 2006 and
2007.
A draw will be enough for Porto to advance, while their
clean sheet in the first leg means they also in the box seat to win on away
goals.
Culled from Soccerway
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