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O'Leary recalls pain of cup loss

Underdog Leeds faces Valencia test in semifinals

LEEDS, England (Reuters) -- Leeds United aims to improve on an already remarkable season when it hosts Valencia in Wednesday's Champions League semifinal, first leg.

Manager David O'Leary can barely believe what his side has achieved, given the injury crisis in the opening months of the season and a subsequent court case involving several players.

Asked if he was surprised to find his side facing last season's runners-up in the semifinals of Europe's premier competition, O'Leary said: "Surprised? I'm shocked.

"People don't believe me, but I am shocked.

"Unless you are involved you can have no idea what it has been like here in the last few months.

"Because of the injuries our season didn't start until January and that's when the court case started. I've been knackered for weeks now."

Most of the injury problems are now in the past and the court case was halted last month. First-team players Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer face a re-trial on assault charges some time next season. Both men have denied the charges.

Along with their march to the semifinals, Leeds have also moved up the premier league to third place, and the prospect of a Champions League return next season whatever happens against Valencia.

"Even if we went out to Valencia, we can still hold our heads high and say we went the furthest of all the premier league sides," O'Leary said, following Manchester United and Arsenal's exit in the quarterfinals.

No luck

"And it has not been through luck either, because we have beaten a lot of very good teams to get where we are."

Leeds has defeated the likes of Lazio, AC Milan, Anderlecht and Spanish champion Deportivo la Coruna, playing exciting football along the way.

Valencia offer a different sort of challenge, according to O'Leary.

"Valencia are an outstanding side, very hard working and I think they are a bit more cautious than Deportivo," he said.

"They don't take so many risks, they are steady and experienced."

While O'Leary would obviously love a repeat of the 3-0 thrashing his side handed Deportivo in the home leg of the quarter-finals, his target is much more realistic.

"The key for us is keeping a clean sheet at home," he said.

United, which has won its last six successive Premier League games, has a slight injury worry over Rio Ferdinand.

The influential defender suffered a bruised buttock in the weekend 2-0 victory over Chelsea and faces a late fitness test.

Valencia's hopes of reaching the final for the second successive year and setting up a possible re-match with Real Madrid, have been boosted by the return from injury of two key players.

Center-back Fabian Ayala was forced out of the quarterfinal second leg win against Arsenal with a rib injury but has been named in Hector Cuper's squad and is expected to play.

Fellow Argentine Kily Gonzalez also missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Valladolid in the Spanish league but the stylish winger is almost certain to be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

Enforced absences

The only enforced absences from Cuper's side will be Adrian Ilie, still recovering from a muscle tear, and the suspended Miguel Angel Angulo.

Though Leeds is tagged as underdogs, Cuper is wary of the threat posed by the English side.

"Leeds are a very strong, compact team," Cuper warned. "They run a lot, defend from the front and have great spirit.

"They also have the same surprise factor that Valencia had last year but basically they're a very good side."

The main worry for Cuper going into the game is the disciplinary situation, with eight of his players just one yellow card away from suspension.

Probable teams.

Leeds United: 1-Nigel Martyn; 2-Gary Kelly, 3-Ian Harte, 29-Rio Ferdinand, 21-Dominic Matteo; 11-Lee Bowyer, 19-Eirik Bakke, 4-Olivier Dacourt, 23-David Batty; 9-Mark Viduka, 17-Alan Smith.

Valencia: 1-Santiago Canizares; 20-Jocelyn Angloma, 12-Fabian Ayala, 2-Mauricio Pellegrino, 15-Amedeo Carboni; 6-Gaizka Mendieta, 19-Ruben Baraja, 18-Kily Gonzalez, 35-Pablo Aimar; 7-John Carew, 17-Juan Sanchez.

Referee: Pier Luigi Collina (Italy).

O'Leary recalls pain of cup final loss to Spaniards

O'Leary has already tasted defeat against Valencia in European competition. That was 21 years ago when he was on the Arsenal lineup which lost to the Spaniards in the 1980 Cup Winners Cup final.

O'Leary doesn't want a repeat on Wednesday when his Leeds United team faces Valenica at Elland Road.

"I'll never forget what a big a downer that was," the former Gunners center-back recalled of the game against Mario Kempes, Rainer Bonhof and company.

"We had lost the FA Cup on the Saturday and then went out to Brussels and the one we really wanted to win. We go and lose as well.

"There were penalties to decide it [after a 0-0 tie]. Graham Rix and Liam Brady both missed and that summed up the miserable five or six days we had."

There won't be a penalty shootout on Wednesday because this is the first leg and, this time, O'Leary won't be on the field either.

But the Irishman trusts his Leeds lineup to take a first leg lead over last season's runner-up and move the club closer to a first Champions League final since 1975, when it lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich.

Bayern is one of the other semifinalists this year, visiting defending titlist Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Although Irish striker Robbie Keane is ineligible because he played for former club Inter Milan in the early stages of the same competition, O'Leary has a wealth of talent to choose from in attack.

Aussie striker Mark Viduka has scored 21 goals this season and will team up with countryman Harry Kewell and young English striker Alan Smith.

Attacking from midfield will be Lee Bowyer, who also is in standout form despite the distraction of a criminal trial over his alleged involvement in an attack on a student in downtown Leeds in January last year. Bowyer, teammate Jonathan Woodgate and two other men are due for retrial in October.

Tough tackling David Batty and Frenchman Olivier Dacourt also are in the Leeds midfield, free kick specialist Ian Harte is at leftback and, at the heart of the defense is England star Rio Ferdinand, the world's most expensive defender at 18 million pounds (US$27 million) after he moved from West Ham.

South African defender Lucas Radebe, the regular team captain, is missing from the lineup because of a knee injury he suffered two months ago in a 3-2 Champions League loss to Real Madrid.

Argentine stars Pablo Aimar and Roberto Ayala are back after being rested for Saturday's 1-0 victory over Valladolid and countryman Kily Gonzalez has recovered from a thigh strain.

Goalkeeper Santiago Canizares believes the game will be between two teams strong on teamwork rather than stars.

"Leeds are looking very much like us," he said. "They place the emphasis on the unit rather than counting on great individuals.

"In addition they have a tremendous desire and a determination. I recognize it because it was what we went through last season.

"They play in a block and although there is no one star player they want to stand out in Europe where they play with quality and discipline, just as we did last year," Canizares said.

"Any team that has to draw in Milan and does so, and then wins away at Lazio and Anderlecht, and scores three goals against Deportivo is one to be taken very seriously.

"We have been strong in defense this season, but that does not guarantee future success. We will do our best to return from Leeds well-positioned in the tie."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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