20-man OB ready for Stuttgart

Njogu Demba is part of OB's squad for Thursday's European League match against Stuttgart.

Team officials Uffe Pedersen and Henrik Clausen have selected 20 men for the showdown. 

The squad, which also has all three goalies and Nigerian Peter Utaka, is expected to count on home support when they rub shoulders with the German outfit today.

The team will miss the services of star players such as Johan Absalonsen and Thomas Helveg, who are still on injury list.

Team coach Uffe Pedersen said: "No matter how you look at it, the Bundesliga is extremely strong. There is no doubt that Stuttgart is a team that is on a level that we have not so often seen here in Denmark. There will be times when we really need to defend ourselves and show what we're made of. It can be very different than in many games in Super League. So we should be aware that we must resist strong pressure, and we must be aware that we hardly get five chances in a match. We may get maybe three."

The big question is who is the favourite for the match? OB's coach asked the club's website in an interview.

He said: "Most importantly, we believe we can win the match, taking an entire weekend of football games in Denmark, so there will be some surprises. I have no doubt that Stuttgart is the favourite in the match, but I believe that we can certainly see more surprises. It will not be a struggle in which we may clearly show that we are much better than them but it is goals that count and we can succeed in punishing their offensive back; so maybe we can create some good chances."

Having lost 2-1 to Spanish giants Getafe in the group H opener, OB are under pressure knowing the fact that Stuttgart enjoyed a 3-0 win over Young Boys in the first group matches.