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Europa League Draw:Last 32 Teams

Saturday, December 17, 2011 5:35 AM

Manchester City and Manchester United have both been given tough draws in the last 32 of the Europa League.

remier League leaders City must tackle defending champions Porto, while crosstown rivals United have been paired with Ajax.

Should City progress, they will face either Legia Warsaw or Sporting Lisbon in the last 16, while United will meet either Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao if they see off Ajax.

Both Manchester clubs found themselves in the Europa League after being surprisingly eliminated in the pool stages of the Champions League.

City bowed out after finishing third in Group A, behind Bayern Munich and Napoli, while United were sensationally pipped to second place in Group C by Swiss minnows Basel.

Meanwhile, Stoke, the only other English side still in the Europa League, have been drawn against Valencia, who were denied a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League by Chelsea.

If Tony Pulis' side overcome their Spanish opponents, they will go on to face the winners of the tie between Trabzonspor and PSV Eindhoven.

Elsewhere, Italian outfit Lazio will take on Spain's Atletico Madrid in one of the ties of the last 32. Udinese, who finished second to Atletico in Group I, will square up to Greece's PAOK, who finished top of a pool which also featured Tottenham Hotspur.

Europa League Last 32

Porto v Manchester City
Ajax v Manchester United
Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
Salzburg v Metalist
Stoke v Valencia
Rubin v Olympiacos
AZ v Anderlecht
Lazio v Atletico Madrid
Steaua v Twente
Viktoria Plzen v Schalke
Wisla v Standard Liege
Braga v Besiktas
Udinese v PAOK
Trabzonspor v PSV
Hannover v Club Brugge
Legia v Sporting Lisbon

First legs to be played on February 16, with second legs scheduled for February 23

Europa League Last 16

Salzburg/Metalistv v Rubin/Olympiacos
Legia/Sporting Lisbon v Porto/Manchester City
Steaua/Twente v Viktoria Plzen/Schalke
Wisla/Standard Liege v Hannover/Club Brugge
Stoke/Valencia v Trabzonspor/PSV
AZ/Anderlecht v Udinese/PAOK
Lazio/Atletico Madrid v Braga/Besiktas
Ajax/Manchester United v Lokomotiv Moscow/Athletic Bilbao

Celtic boss 'proud' of his side

Friday, December 16, 2011 6:48 AM

Celtic boss Neil Lennon was 'proud' of his side despite bowing out of the Europa League on Thursday.

The Scottish Premier League giants could only manage a 1-1 draw at Udinese, a result which ended their hopes of making the knockout stages.

Celtic did grab an early lead thanks to Gary Hooper but Antonio Di Natale netted the leveller for the hosts.

"I was very proud of the team, everyone made a fantastic contribution and with a bit of luck we'd be through," Lennon told ESPN.

"I thought there was a clear handball, I thought it hit one of their centre-backs on the arm, we hit the post, we had one cleared off the line."

"In terms of chances it was almost as good as we've played. To come away from home, to Italy of all places, and play like that was good to see."

Udinese manager Francesco Guidolin admitted he felt sorry for Celtic after their exit, despite the Scots' dominance of the match.

"We played in a very, very tough group and tonight was like a final in which a single incident could’ve seen us either go out or win," Guidolin said.

"In the first half we struggled, but we were sumptuous after the break. It was a hard group phase that took a lot out of us. I genuinely felt sorry for Celtic, as they are a tough and fair team. They deserved to go through as well."

Udinese are now through to the last 32 of the competition and Guidolin is expecting another tough draw.

"Knowing our luck, you'll see we will definitely be paired with one of the Manchester clubs, whether it be United or City," he said.

"After picking Arsenal in the Champions League play-offs and this group, it seems inevitable."

Europa League wrap: Spurs´ easy win in vain, Celtic exit

6:47 AM

Tottenham beat Shamrock Rovers 4-0 but were still knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday while Celtic were also eliminated.

Spurs needed a big win, and for group leaders PAOK to defeat Rubin Kazan, and although they achieved a big result, the spoils were shared in Thessaloniki.

Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend and Jermain Defoe all bagged first-half goals for Tottenham and they were never in doubt of picking up all three points in Dublin.

The Irish Premier League table-toppers put up a fight in the second half though and had a couple of chances of their own before substitute Harry Kane sealed the 4-0 win with his injury-time goal.

But a 10-man Rubin claimed the point they needed to finish second – and above Tottenham – in Group A after they drew 1-1 against the Greek side.

Things did not start well for the Russians with goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov sent off after just 13 minutes and Vieirinha's penalty shortly after saw them a goal behind.

Paraguay forward Nelson Valdez scored an equaliser in first-half injury time and it proved enough to send the Russians through to the knockout stages.

A 1-1 draw at Udinese was not enough for Celtic to progress from Group I, with Antonio di Natale cancelling out Gary Hooper's early strike.

Udinese qualified with Atletico Madrid, who topped the group and eased to a 3-1 home win over Stade Rennes.

In Group H, Sporting Braga and Club Brugge played out a 1-1 draw which meant that despite Birmingham City's 1-0 win over Maribor, the English club missed out by a point.

Chris Hughton's outfit won thanks to Adam Rooney's goal on 24 minutes but they needed either side to win in Brugge to progress on head-to-head standings.

But despite being down to 10 men, Braga – last season's finalists – managed to come from behind to claim a point.

In Group B, Standard Liege set a new Europa League record after they conceded just one goal in their six group matches.

The Belgians beat FC Copenhagen 1-0 in Denmark to finish on top of the group while Hannover 96 joined them in progressing after a 3-1 win over Vorskla of Ukraine.

PSV finished Group C undefeated after a 2-1 home success against Rapid Bucharest and despite a 2-0 loss at Hapoel Tel Aviv, Legia Warsaw also qualified.

And in Group G, Metalist Kharkiv held Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar to a 1-1 draw as both sides progressed, with Austria Vienna's 2-0 win over Malmo having no bearing on the standings.

Rooney targets Europa League success

6:44 AM

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has targeted Europa League success following the club's Champions League exit last week.

United will enter the knockout stages of Europe's secondary competition following their 2-1 defeat to Basel, with the draw for the round-of-32 to be made on Friday.

However the 26-year-old is hopeful of a strong run in the tournament, with both himself and Sir Alex Ferguson yet to win the trophy.

Asked if he wanted to win the Europa League, Rooney told the club's official website: "Definitely. It's a shame we're out of the Champions League. That's what we all want to play in."

"Unfortunately we went out and now we turn our attention to the Premier League and Europa League. I don't think the manager's won the Europa League, so I'm sure he'll want to win it."

"Every competition we enter we want to win. There are some good teams but we have to believe, keep working and hopefully we can go on and win it."

The England striker also admitted that the loss of captain Nemanja Vidic for the rest of the season through injury, coupled with the news that Darren Fletcher is taking an extended absence from football, had come as a major blow to the Red Devils.

Rooney said: "The two of them are both important players for us. With Nemanja being our captain it's a shame we've lost him for the season as he's a great defender. But the younger lads have been great."

"It's a shame for Darren, too - he's a great player and a great person. Hopefully he gets well soon and comes back strongly for us."

The former Everton man is also keen to remedy the 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in next month's FA Cup third round match against Roberto Mancini's men, but believes both sides would have preferred to have met later in the competition.

"Both teams would probably rather have met each other later on but it's a great team to play in and if you win it then you know you've knocked one of your main competitors out," he said.

Europa League wrap: Fulham, PSG bow out

Thursday, December 15, 2011 6:03 AM

Fulham were stunningly knocked out of the Europa League on Wednesday, while PSG also exited the competition.

The English Premier League side began the matchday one point ahead of Polish side Wisla Krakow, meaning that a win would be enough to send them through to the knockout stages.

And they were well on their way to securing all three points at half-time after goals to Clint Dempsey and Kerim Frei.

But Odense – who were incapable of progressing past the group stage – kept battling, and a 64th minute free-kick from Hans Andreasen beat Fulham's third-string goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Fulham, though, only needed a win to be safely through, but the Danes continued to push the hosts' defensive line, and they struck with what turned out to be the last touch of the game.

Senegalese forward Baye Djiby Fall headed in a terrific cross to bring Odense level, much to the contempt of the locals.

And with Wisla Krakow defeating the already qualified FC Twente 2-1, it was the Poles who went through to the knockout rounds from Group K.

Lukasz Gargula and Tzvetan Genkov scored for the winners but their match in Poland finished with Fulham still in front in London.

Odense's equaliser sparked belated celebrations in the Krakow crowd and amongst the players.

In Group F, PSG exited the competition despite defeating Athletic Bilbao 4-2.

The Parisian outfit – who spent over 65 million pounds in the off-season – headed into the game on the back of successive wins but they were quickly trailing after Jon Aurtenetxe's fourth-minute strike.

Javier Pastore and Mathieu Bodmer responded before half-time for PSG although their lead lasted just 10 minutes after the break with David Lopez levelling proceedings for the La Liga outfit.

An Inigo Perez own-goal and a Guillaume Hoarau penalty in the last five minutes handed PSG the win but it was in vain after Red Bull Salzburg – who were level on seven points with them prior to the matchday – won 3-2 at Slovan Bratislava.

Milos Lacny scored two in the first six minutes for the Slovakians but from there Salzburg mounted a terrific comeback, with Jakob Jantscher and Leonardo responding with goals of their own before the break.

An own goal from Marian Had just eight minutes into the second half sealed the result for the Austrians who qualified for the knockout stages ahead of PSG in Group F on goal difference only.

In Group D, Lazio got the win they needed to progress by toppling leaders Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in Rome, thanks to goals from Libor Kozak and Giuseppe Sculli in a result that meant FC Zurich's 2-0 home success against Vaslui amounted to nothing.

Besiktas defeated the already qualified Stoke City to top Group E, with the Turkish side scoring three second-half goals to beat the 10-man visitors 3-1. The other match saw nine-man Dynamo Kyiv claim a thrilling 3-3 draw against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Anderlecht finished Group L with six wins from as many matches after an entertaining 5-3 win over Lokomotiv Moscow and AEK Athens joined them on the winners list, with the Greek side earning their first points of the campaign with a 3-1 win at Sturm Graz.

Bundesliga side Schalke 04 toppled Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in Group J to finish on top of the group and joining them in the next stage were Steaua Bucharest who defeated AEK Larnaca 3-1.

From the 12 existing groups, the top two sides from each will join the eight third-placed sides in the UEFA Champions League in the round of 32.

Europa League Preview: Spurs, PSG facing elimination

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 7:11 PM

Tottenham will need a lot of luck to reach the Europa League knockout stages, while Paris Saint-Germain's fate also hangs in the balance.

Greek side PAOK are through from Group A after winning at White Hart Lane on November 30, leaving Rubin Kazan and Harry Redknapp's Tottenham fighting for second spot.

The Russians are three points clear and only need a draw in Thessaloniki on Thursday to reach the last 32, while Tottenham, who have only scored five goals in as many Europa League games, need to thrash Ireland's Shamrock Rovers in Dublin.

With the head-to-head record taken out of the equation after the teams exchanged 1-0 wins, Tottenham need to combine with PAOK to make up at least six goals on the Russian side.

Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor was on the scoresheet at Britannia Stadium in Spurs 2-1 loss to Stoke on Sunday, and Redknapp will need the Togolese striker to be clinical against Rovers, while Gareth Bale will also need to be at his best.

In Group F, Ligue 1 giants PSG are likely to need a win at home against group leaders Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

But Austria's Red Bull Salzburg only need to defeat struggling Slovan Bratislava, who are bottom of the group, to ensure they go through at the expense of PSG.

Elsewhere, Fulham can seal progress from Group K with a win against Denmark's Odense at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.

Eredivisie outfit Twente are already through and face third-placed Wisla Krakow, leaving Martin Jol's team, led by striker Andrew Johnson (five Europa League goals), with a strong chance of advancing.

The battle for second in Group I is just as intriguing, with Neil Lennon's Celtic facing a must-win clash against Serie A side Udinese at Stadio Friuli on Thursday.

Spaniards Atletico Madrid have booked their spot in the last 32 ahead of their encounter with Stade Rennes.

In Group H, mid-table Championship side Birmingham City must beat Slovenian league leaders Maribor and rely on Sporting Braga, who are already through, to defeat Club Brugge in Belgium on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Lazio face an early exit from Group D ahead of their meeting at home with Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday with even a win not enough for the Italians to get through if Romanian surprise packets Vaslui beat Zurich.

A draw against Ukrainians Metalist Kharkiv on Thursday should be enough for AZ Alkmaar to clinch second in Group G.

If AZ draw, Austria Vienna can only overhaul the Eredivisie leaders with a winning margin of at least six goals against last-placed Malmo.

Stoke City have sewn up Group E and will travel to Besiktas, who need only a draw on Wednesday to join them in the knockout stages.

Dynamo Kyiv host Maccabi Tel Aviv, and they need to combine with Stoke City to make up at least five goals on Besiktas to go through.

Maccabi Haifa are in the box seat to seal second in Group J ahead of their meeting with German outfit Schalke, who have advanced.

If the Israeli side fail to win on Wednesday, Steaua Bucharest or AEK Larnaca can go through with a win in their clash.

Groups B, C and L have already been settled heading into the last round of matches.

Standard Liege, who face Copenhagen, and Hannover, who host Vorskla Poltava on Thursday, have already advanced from Group B.

PSV Eindhoven and Legia Warsaw face Rapid Bucharest and Hapoel Tel Aviv respectively on Thursday, but their places in the next stage have already been secured.

And Lokomotiv Moscow can overtake Anderlecht for top spot in Group L with a win by two goals or more, while Sturm Graz and AEK Athens meet in a dead rubber on Wednesday.

Manchini:Every team is worried about Manchester City

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 6:22 PM

Roberto Mancini believes Europe's top clubs will want Manchester City eliminated from the Champions League on Wednesday.

City entertain Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium knowing their destiny is out of their hands, as even a win against the German outfit could see them drop out of Europe’s top competition.

The Italian believes Europe's elite will be rooting for his side to be eliminated, as they see City as a real threat.

"I think every team is worried about Manchester City now, because already - and certainly in the future - we are a team that could be one of the top clubs in the world," Mancini said.

"Napoli want us out, but Bayern want us out too and all the other top clubs will be hoping we go out of the Champions' League because they fear what we can achieve."

The Blues go into the game knowing they need Spanish side Villarreal to do them a favour and take points off Napoli, or any result against Bayern Munich will be in vain.

Despite their predicament, Mancini is adamant his side will be fully focused on the task in hand, and says if they do progress, his players will cause problems for a lot of teams.

"It is hard - this is the hardest group," Mancini said.

"But we have belief, I am very happy with the belief we have in the team. We have to beat Bayern first, that is the key, and then we can worry about the other result."

"We are facing a difficult situation in our group, we have only perhaps a 30 per cent chance, but if we go through we will be a big problem for the others teams."

"If we can get through this then it will be an important moment. We are progressing, and we have a lot of good players - can we win the trophy? We have to get through first and then we will speak, but the other clubs will be hoping we are out."

Earlier in the week, Napoli chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis suggested Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour could be tempted to use his financial muscle to offer Villarreal an incentive to take points from Napoli.

The 62-year-old was quoted as saying: "I can feel strange things going on surrounding the Villarreal game - princes and sheikhs are getting agitated."

"To think about it would be evil, but sometimes you can guess what might be happening."

However, Mancini laughed off such speculation, saying: "Fortunately Sheikh Mansour is not Italian, and I don't think he is like this - so I can't think about this stupid situation."

"The Italian president (de Laurentiis) has to respect Villarreal first, because they are a serious club, and they always play to win."

"And after, Sheikh Mansour is a very good man, who is not Italian."

Ferguson: Rooney will play his part

6:19 PM

Alex Ferguson has dismissed suggestions that Wayne Rooney might be distracted in Basel on Wednesday.

Ferguson scoffed at thoughts that the striker's impending UEFA appeal will have a negative effect on Manchester United when they face Basel in the Champions League.

With Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov out injured, Rooney is a key figure for United in what is a massive fixture, with a point still needed to qualify for the knockout stages.

On Thursday, he will find out whether his three-match ban for kicking an opponent during England’s qualifier against Montenegro will be reduced, which would let him play a greater part in Euro 2012.

But his club manager says any thoughts about the appeal will not be in his mind when he steps on to the pitch to take on the Swiss side.

"I don't think that comes into it at all," Ferguson told reporters when asked if the hearing was likely to affect Rooney's focus.

United go into the match hoping not to repeat their performance six years ago where they lost in Portugal to Benfica and crashed out at the group stages.

However, Ferguson is confident that history will not repeat itself once again.

"The side that played then was a very young team that suffered with a lot of injuries," he said.

"That period was disappointing. But it is six years ago. Our record since then has been outstanding."

"People say we are not doing well but we are second in the league and we are at a stage where we could be qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League. The pressure won't affect us."

"Look at the number of big games these players play in. Every year for the last few years they have been involved in finals and semi-finals and quarter-finals and big games in the Premier League."

"Wednesday is exactly the same situation. It is another big game. But we have a strong squad and that squad will see us through without question."

Valencia aims to win Europa League

6:17 PM

Valencia boss Unai Emery has given his side the goal of winning this season's Europa League title.

The La Liga outfit were defeated 3-0 by Chelsea in the Champions League on Wednesday, which confirmed their departure from Europe's top competition.

Didier Drogba's third-minute goal set Chelsea on their way and the forward bagged another – sandwiched by Ramires' strike - as the Blues celebrated a comfortable home win.

"The game could've changed if we had scored the first goal,'' Emery said afterwards. "Conceding early made it very difficult for us.''

But after finishing third in Group E, the club will still be involved in European football as they drop into the last 32 of the Europa League - a tournament Emery wants his club to win.

"My goal now is to win the Europa League," he said.

"I have nothing to reproach about. No player can be blamed (for our exit), and both Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea have deservedly progressed. Now we must think ahead."

Valencia sit third in La Liga - seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid - and face Real Betis in domestic action on Saturday.

Tottenham lose 2-1 to PAOK

Thursday, December 1, 2011 5:38 AM

Tottenham's chances of Europa League progression are in jeopardy after a 2-1 loss to PAOK, while Atletico Madrid advanced to the knockout stages.



The Greek side had Dimitris Salpingidis and Stefanos Athanasiadis to thank for early goals on Wednesday, and they held firm with 10 men to record a famous win after Luka Modric pulled one back from the spot.

Teenage defender Kostas Stafylidis was sent off for the handball that led to the Modric penalty at White Hart Lane.

Late drama saw Jermain Defoe net what appeared to be an equaliser, but it was ruled out for an earlier foul committed by the forward.

The result leaves the English Premier League side third in Group A, behind PAOK and Rubin Kazan, and relying on a big win over Shamrock Rovers and the Russians losing in Greece in the group's final matches.

Paraguayan striker Nelson Haedo Valdez's brace led Rubin Kazan to a 4-1 win over Shamrock Rovers, and the boost in goal difference could be vital if they are to progress.

Meanwhile, La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid advanced and left Celtic's campaign hanging in the balance after a hard-fought 1-0 win in their Group I clash in Glasgow.

Turkey international Arda Turan hit a low shot past goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who got a hand on the effort but was unable to keep it out.

The 30th-minute winner means Celtic must beat Udinese in Italy on December 15 after the Serie A side moved three points clear in second with a 0-0 draw at Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes.

In Group B, Standard Liege and Hannover both progressed to the last 32.

The Belgians beat Hannover 2-0 thanks to goals from Mohammed Tchite and Zoro Cyriac Gohi Bi at Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Despite the loss, the Bundesliga side go through after Copenhagen could only manage a 1-1 draw against Vorskla Poltava in Ukraine.

Copenhagen striker Dame N'Doye was the lone player on the scoresheet - finding the net for his team after earlier scoring an own goal.

Championship outfit Birmingham City are in danger of elimination after slumping to a 1-0 loss at Sporting Braga.

Midfielder Hugo Viana's 51st-minute effort confirmed Braga's spot in the last 32, while Birmingham need to beat Maribor and rely on Club Brugge losing in Portugal to advance.

The Belgians moved top of the group after a remarkable come-from-behind 4-3 win over Slovenian champions Maribor.

Trailing 3-0 away from home with less than 20 minutes to play, Club Brugge produced a stunning comeback with Nabil Dirar's brace sending them on their way and defender Ryan Donk heading in the winner.

PSV Eindhoven continued their unbeaten run in the Europa League with a convincing 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw in Poland.

In a battle between two teams who will advance, Michal Zewlakow, Dries Mertens - from the penalty spot - and Zakaria Labyad netted to see the Dutch side to a comfortable win.

In the other game, Hapoel Tel Aviv edged Rapid Bucharest 3-1 with all four goals coming in the first half.

Metalist Kharkiv are through in Group G after a comprehensive 4-1 defeat of Austria Vienna, while AZ Alkmaar remain second despite a 0-0 draw at Malmo.

Riga confident of Liege Europa progression

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:06 PM

Standard Liege coach Jose Riga hopes his team can secure a place in the Europa League knockout stages with a win over Hannover on Wednesday.


The Group B leaders can guarantee a spot in the last 32 with a win over the Bundesliga side at Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Unbeaten in their last eight outings in all competitions, the Belgians have not lost at home this campaign.

Riga said he was confident his side could collect three points and qualify with a game to spare in the group.

"The decisive phase starts for us now to enter the next stage. We are level on points with Hannover, so the game is very important for us," he said.

"We looked good at home recently and we want to continue that. On the other hand, Hannover is very strong in away games as you could see (in a 2-1 win) against Copenhagen."

"Therefore, Liege needs to show a good performance, so we don't need to speculate on the next game."

Like his manager, Haiti international Reginal Goreux believes Standard Liege, who are fourth in the Belgian First Division, have the quality to be successful in Europe.

"We will find how much we have improved. We can make a comparison to the recent year, whether we improved," Goreux said.

"With our form, mentally - and the hard work we've done - I think chances should be good to succeed this time."

Tottenham to host PAOK in Europa League

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 3:29 PM

Tottenham will be looking to take their domestic form into the Europa League when they host PAOK, while Lazio need a win at Vaslui.


The Londoners have impressed in the English Premier League, with their 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday taking their unbeaten streak to 10 matches - including nine victories.

Emmanuel Adebayor has netted four times in his last two league outings, and Harry Redknapp will need the Togo striker to continue his form at White Hart Lane in the Group A clash on Wednesday.

Greek side PAOK are top of the group, and Tottenham will fall three points adrift of Rubin Kazan if they lose and the Russian side beat Irish outfit Shamrock Rovers.

Also in a battle to advance are Edy Reja's Lazio, who visit Romania to take on Vaslui in Group D on Thursday.

Sitting second in the group but level on points with their opponents, Serie A club Lazio will be keen to record a win ahead of a meeting with Sporting Lisbon.

Liga Sagres outfit Sporting - the Group D leaders - can guarantee they progress with a win at home to Zurich.

In Group E, Stoke City can book their spot in the knockout stages with a win against Dynamo Kyiv at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday.

In contrast to Tottenham, Tony Pulis' men ended a four-game losing run in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Blackburn on Saturday, but have managed to stay undefeated in their four European games.

Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel will host Turkish side Besiktas in the other Group E encounter.

Athletic Bilbao should have too much for Slovan Bratislava in Group F, while Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain need to avoid defeat an important encounter against Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.

In Group K, Premier League outfit Fulham can seal a spot in the last 32 with a win over Eredivisie club Twente, who have already progressed.

Scottish Premier League side Celtic have a chance to move into the top two in Group I if they can win at home to Atletico Madrid of La Liga, while Serie A club Udinese travel to Stade Rennes of Ligue 1.

Group H remains in the balance with three teams locked on seven points, and Belgian outfit Club Brugge could go top if they beat struggling Maribor.

Sporting Braga and Birmingham City, first and third respectively, meet in a key encounter in Portugal.

In Group J, Schalke of the Bundesliga host Steaua Bucharest and Maccabi Haifa visit AEK Larnaca, while Group C's top two - PSV and Legia Warsaw - also meet.

Rapid Bucharest of Romania and Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv go head to head in the other Group C match.

Ukrainian Premier League side Metalist and Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar will be out to maintain their unbeaten runs in Group G when they take on Austria Wien and Malmo respectively.

Standard Liege and Hannover meet in a top-of-the-table clash in Group B, while Vorskla host Copenhagen.

In Group L, Russia's Lokomotiv Moscow can join Anderlecht in the last 32 with at least a draw at home to Sturm Graz, with the Belgian First Division leaders travelling to AEK Athens of Greece.

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