Real Betis and Rubin Kazan will face off in a rather interesting Europa League round of 32 matchup in February.
Both teams had solid runs in their respective groups with the Russian team finishing first in its group and the Spaniards finishing second.
Early reactions from both sides seem to indicate some praise for the opponent in what should ultimately be an even tilt.
"It's going to be a difficult tie. The cold plays a big part when you travel to a country like Russia so I think it will be a very even tie - I see it at 50-50," said Betis' Juanfran, according to UEFA.com.
Kazan has not had a great season and is likely to miss out on a European tournament unless it makes drastic progress once the season resumes next year. After 19 matches, Kazan sits 11th on the table out of 16 teams and sits 10 points out of a European qualifying spot.
"Things aren't exactly working out for them in their domestic league either," noted Juanfran. "We weren't really thinking about who we would get in the draw. The UEFA Europa League will be put to one side until February; we are now thinking about the Liga. [Rubin] have some good players. We will respect them, but we are Betis and we must look to get through. [Current Betis defender Jordi once played for Rubin so] he can give us good first-hand information on them."
Betis has had a forgettable season in the Spanish League with only 10 points in 16 matches; the team is last in the league and could face relegation unless it makes a drastic turnaround in the final 22 games of the year. Despite their poor play, Kazan's staff is also praising the opponent.
"Betis are an experienced side - they have played in European competition numerous times. Even though they are struggling in the Spanish Liga, it will be a very tough tie. It will be difficult to make it to the next round and we cannot approach these games with a lack of discipline. We respect them very much," said Kazan Coach Kurban Berdyev.
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