Two clubs chasing UEFA Champions League glory will do battle today in a match between Maribor and Sporting Lisbon. The group-stage match scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at Ljudski Vrt Stadium in Maribor and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on Fox Soccer Plus.
Maribor manager Ante Simundza had this to offer ahead of today's European encounter (via UEFA): "Our experience from last season's UEFA Europa League will help. We won't get too carried away, but will give it a lot of energy."
"Sporting have a lot of attacking strength, like any Portuguese side," he added. "But you have to expect that in this competition. All the teams are strong—very strong. They have their weaknesses too, but I will keep those to myself. They will certainly be under pressure to get a result, and I am sure the match will be decided by small details on both sides."
Simundza featured for Maribor in the 1999 UEFA Champions League campaign, but refused to bring up past glory with the club.
"I played in the UEFA Champions League and now I am a coach in this competition, but the only common point is Maribor," he said. "I don't like to compare the past with the present; it was 15 years ago that I played in this competition."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Sporting Lisbon's Nani secured a move from Manchester United in the summer transfer window. The 27-year-old has made three appearances for the club in league play, but is yet to open his account. He'll look to do so today.
Maribor's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Handanovič; Stojanovič, Rajčevič, Arghus, Viler; Mertelj, Ibraimi, Filipovič, Vršič; Tavares, Mendy
Sporting Lisbon's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Patrício; Ricardo Esgaio/Cédric, Maurício, Sarr, Jefferson; Carvalho, Adrien, Martins; Nani, Carillo, Slimani
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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