Anderlecht vs Athletic Bilbao
Anderlecht
Athletic Bilbao
vs
Thursday 25th February 2010
Venue: Constant Vanden Stock Stadium
Kick-off: 18:00
Score: 4 - 0
Boussoufa on his guard
Anderlecht midfielder Mbark Boussoufa is taking nothing for granted ahead of Thursday's Europa League last-32 home leg against Athletic Bilbao despite his side holding the upper hand following their 1-1 draw in Spain.
Anderlecht took a 35th-minute lead at San Mames through Lucas Biglia and although Mikel San Jose's second-half effort salvaged a draw for Athletic, it is the Belgian side who are favourites heading in to the return meeting.
Boussoufa is not getting carried away though, and believes it would be a mistake if his side opted for a safety-first approach to the encounter at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium.
"The result is good," Boussoufa said. "But there we were very well organised and this will be the key. They have (Fernando) Llorente, who is very dangerous.
"The mentality of this team is not to play for a 0-0. The coach will decide, but if he asks me, I would tell him to go on the attack."
The first leg was marred by crowd trouble before and after the game between rival supporters, with fans clashing on the San Mames pitch following the final whistle.
Anderlecht president Roger Vanden Stock and general director Herman Van Holsbeeck yesterday appealed for calm ahead of the return meeting, but Boussoufa is confident there will not be a repeat of the first-leg incidents.
"The same thing isn't going to happen. In Bilbao there was a problem of infrastructure and organisation. Our fans are only going to come and support us, not to fight against the Athletic fans," Boussoufa said in Spanish newspaper AS.
Athletic also experienced crowd disturbances during their last European away match at Austria Vienna in December, with the Austrian outfit subsequently being ordered by UEFA to play their next two European home games behind closed doors - one suspended - and fined 20,000 euros.
Athletic midfielder Javi Martinez hopes nothing similar happens on Thursday.
"With what happened in Austria, it's logical that the fans are a little scared and that some have cancelled their trips," he said.
"I'm sure that we are going to find a hostile atmosphere there because the Belgian fans already showed here that they are very noisy, but I hope that nothing happens to the Athletic supporters who are going to be there."
Anderlecht retained their seven-point lead over second-placed Club Brugge in the Belgian top flight on Sunday with a 2-0 home win over Mechelen.
Athletic also enjoyed a successful weekend, thrashing Tenerife 4-1 to move to within a point of sixth-placed Real Mallorca.
Pablo Orbaiz and Javi Martinez were both suspended for that match but they are back to face Anderlecht, while Fran Yeste, Xabi Castillo and Oscar de Marcos have also been recalled by Athletic coach Joaquin Caparros.
