UEFA Cup this week

[David Votoupal]

Wednesday night
E Roma vs Basel
E Strasbourg vs Red Star Belgrade
F Marseille vs Dinamo Bucurest
F Heerenveen vs Levski Sofia
G Stuttgart vs Rapid Bucharest
G PAOK Salonika vs Rennes
H Bolton vs Sevilla
H Vitoria Guimarães vs Besiktas

Thursday night
A Hamburg vs Slavia Prague
A Monaco vs CSKA Sofia
B Palermo vs Brøndby
B Espanyol vs Maccabi Petakh-Tikva
C Lens vs Sampdoria
C Hertha Berlin vs Steaua Bucharest
D Middlesbrough vs Litex Lovech
D AZ Alkmaar vs Grasshoppers

Standings: http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacu ... index.html

Three from each group will progress to the final 32, for which 8 teams from the Champions' League have already qualified.

[U LEGS]

Strasbourg vs Red Star Belgrade

COME ON RED STAR!

[David Votoupal]

Interesting to see how many Eastern European clubs are among the front-runners, this hasn't happened for YEARS.

But here goes. Many of these leagues were plundered after the fall of the Iron Curtain by western clubs, in much the same way the SANFL had been by the VFL/AFL. But these leagues have had the opportunity to recover their former strength, and we can see that Russia gained a European trophy-winner in CSKA Moscow last season.

[U LEGS]

The Last time Red Star had some success was 90/91 when we won the Champions League. After all the wars that made us crap, we're starting to find our feet. So hopefully we go far in the UEFA Cup.

[David Votoupal]

The 24 teams to progress are:
Monaco
Hamburg
Slavia Prague
Palermo
Espanyol
Lokomotiv Moscow
Steaua Bucharest
Lens
Hertha Berlin
Middlesbrough
AZ Alkmaar
Litex Lovech
Strasbourg
Roma
FC Basle
Marseille
Levski Sofia
Heerenveen
Rapid Bucharest
Shaktar Donetsk
VfB Stuttgart
Sevilla
Zenit St. Petersburg
Bolton Wanderers

They join the following teams from the Champions' League:
FC Brugge
FC Thun
Udinese
Lille
Schalke 04
Rosenborg
Real Betis
Artmedia Bratislava