BATE Borisov vs PSG Preview

Posted Thursday, February 17, 2011 by ESPN

BATE Borisov embark on a new European adventure when they face Paris St Germain in the last 32 of the Europa League.

The first leg at Dinamo Stadion marks the first time the club has contested the latter stages of a UEFA competition, and hopes are high in the camp that their run can continue.

The champions of Belarus have few reasons to doubt their credentials after qualifying from a group that featured Dynamo Kiev, AZ Alkmaar and FC Sheriff.

BATE are increasingly a force to be reckoned with on the continental stage, with this year's run to the rarefied air of the last 32 coming two years on from their qualification to the group stage of the Champions League.

And BATE coach Viktor Goncharenko believes the rest of Europe is starting to sit up and take notice.

"I believe we've made a big step forward," Goncharenko said in an interview with uefa.com earlier this week.

"Abroad, it seems we're being judged on a more objective basis. People are saying we're a good team."

However, there are reasons for the hosts to be cautious against such seasoned European campaigners as PSG after they slumped to a 4-1 reverse to Dynamo in their final home match in Group E on December 2.

Antoine Kombouare's PSG head into the game on the back of an indifferent run of form at domestic level, with the capital club having won only two of their last six Ligue 1 outings.

Their record in Europe is more encouraging, however, and they enter their first ever meeting with BATE fresh from an unbeaten group campaign which saw them emerge as winners from a pool featuring Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Karpaty Lviv.

PSG defender Siaka Tiene is suspended for the trip to Minsk after picking up three yellow cards in the group phase.