UEFA Cup Last 32, 2nd leg Previews

The UEFA Cup gets a bad press. While its bigger, better, more glamorous brother, the Champions League, draws attention with all manner of sexy match-ups between continental heavyweights – and there are some particularly alluring ties this week – Europe’s second tier are relegated to something of a mildly-amusing sideshow. It’s a sad state of affairs, especially because this year’s last 32 has a lot to offer – with a number of high-quality sides poised to resume battle on Thursday evening and a number of intriguing ties still in the balance.

The reality is though, for some, the UEFA Cup is something of an unwelcome distraction from the bread and butter of domestic competition. Just look at Tottenham’s approach to the first leg of their clash with Ukraine’s Shaktar Donetsk, where young Dean Parrett was handed an unexpected debut and on-loan back-up Frazier Campbell ploughed a lone furrow up front with minimal success.

Coming, as it does, sandwiched between Monday’s crucial late victory at Hull and Spurs’ Wembley engagement with rampant Manchester United this weekend, Harry Redknapp’s promised approach (a youth/reserve team XI) to the second leg essentially foregoes any further involvement in the competition they last won back in 1972. So, as a Shaktar side well-drilled by veteran Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu should reasonably be expected to consolidate their first-leg advantage, it’s better to focus primarily on the other remaining English sides.

It is either high-flying Aston Villa or Roman Abramovich-backed CSKA Moscow that will await the Brazilian-inspired Ukrainians (should they take care of business at White Hart Lane) in the next round. CSKA do not resume domestic duties until next month, following a three-month break, yet looked far from ring-rusty in last Wednesday’s pulsating 1-1 draw at a vibrant Villa Park.

Finishing the 2008 campaign as runners-up to surprise winners Rubin Kazan, qualification for next year’s Champions League is already in the bag for the side now managed by Brazilian midfield maestro Zico.

As recent UEFA Cup winners, with victory over Sporting in the 2005 final in Lisbon, the Muscovites are no strangers to continental success. Money injected into the club by Sibneft, the Chelsea owner’s oil company, has enabled the team to recruit Brazilian stars such as extravagant striker Vágner Love (scorer of the brilliant, precious away goal in Birmingham and competition top-scorer with nine already) and talented midfielder Dani Carvalho, recently returned from a five-month loan deal back home with Internacional. Arguably though, CSKA’s star man was grown rather closer to home.

Yuri Zhirkov, a raiding left full-back for Guus Hiddink’s Russian national team, is a hugely effective, quick-witted winger for the club he joined in 2004. Zhirkov – voted Russian footballer of the year, ahead of Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin – was largely contained by Luke Young during their first clash. In the more familiar sub-zero surrounds of the plastic Luzhniki pitch, Villa should expect the elusive wide-man to exert far greater influence on the second leg.

Regrettably, and contradictorily – given their protracted involvement in the mid-summer Intertoto Cup as a means of getting to this stage – Martin O’Neill will field a much-weakened team in the Russian capital. The Villans’ notoriously thin squad can barely accommodate more than one or two absentees at a time, as the second-string’s limp defeats against Hamburg and MSK Zilina earlier in the competition testify. The club of the Russian Army must, therefore, be firm favourites to progress.

Such a scenario could leave Manchester City as the Premier League’s last remaining representatives. Their helter-skelter two-all draw with FC København leaves Mark Hughes’ side ideally placed to advance to the last 16.

Another graduate from the final Intertoto competition was Deportivo La Coruna; the Galicians slumped to a 0-3 away defeat at the hands of Danish champions Aalborg and so have a mighty task on their hands to turn things round at the Riazor.

UEFA Cup draw review....What lies ahead for Spurs, Villa, Pompey & City

Mighty Milan at Fratton, Ajax at Villa Park, and...well, PSG at Eastlands. OK, so the UEFA Cup may not have the immediate glamour and allure of its bigger brother, the Champions League, but yesterday’s group stage draw threw up an exciting array of fixtures to look forward to between now and the end of the year.

In what surely must be the strongest, toughest competition since the induction of the ill-conceived group stage, the UEFA Cup – in its final year before it’s clunkily rebranded as the UEFA Europa League – actually threatens to reclaim the attention of Europe’s football fans. Supporters of the Premier League clubs involved will also be relishing a series of Thursday night treats, despite the almost inevitable consequences (absence of Saturday 3pm kick-offs, slipping league form, etc).

It is possibly Aston Villa, who arrived at this stage via the midsummer slog of Intertoto qualification, that have landed the toughest task of the four English sides.

Group F features three former European Cup winners, including Martin O’Neill’s club. The Irishman’s clash with Marco Van Basten’s Ajax – so far inconsistent in the Eredivisie – should prove a stern test of both coaches’ attacking principles. The Amsterdammers arrive in Birmingham on October 23. Subsequent trips to Martin Jol’s impressive Hamburg and then Prague to face Slavia will mean that progression to the knockout rounds will be far from straightforward for the Villans, who also play host to Slovak club MŠK Žilina.

Likewise for European new boys Portsmouth. They’re an ageing side on the wane and the UEFA Cup is hardly a priority while they continue to struggle domestically; yet Milan’s visit on November 27 is already being eagerly anticipated, and the Italian giants will be welcomed to the South Coast in typically raucous fashion.

Ex-Bayern boss Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg feature the expensively procured Italian defensive duo Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo, and will prove obdurate opponents. Heerenveen – despite selling most of their promising talent each year – are also no pushovers.

Harry Redknapp already knows well of the perils of a trip to Portugal, but Sporting Braga are in poor form and must be overcome if Pompey are to make the top three.

Floundering Tottenham probably need UEFA Cup participation like they need a kick in the Comollis, what with their current domestic travails, but still harbour the potential to make a mark on the competition. Their campaign kicks off in Udine, where they will find Pasquale Marino’s team in fine form and hardened by several recent European adventures. Udinese forwards Toto Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella can run ragged the best of defences, while Gokhan Inler is a midfield general much-desired across the continent (particularly by Arsene Wenger).

Fortunately, Spurs have drawn home ties against both Dinamo Zagreb, from whom they recently negotiated the purchase of Luka Modric, and Spartak Moscow; therein avoiding arduous trips to the formidable Maksimir and Luzhniki stadia. Spartak – former home of Spurs’ Roman Pavlyuchenko – have lately been left trailing in the wake of their numerous city rivals and, of course, the emergent Zenit St Petersburg. However, they’ll hope the appointment of ex-Getafe coach and Denmark legend Michael Laudrup will spur them onto greater things. NEC Nijmegen, of the Netherlands, have sold last season’s strike partnership and star defender Jonas Olsson to West Brom, so should be considered there for the taking.

It’s possible that the Abu Dhabi-based ownership of Manchester City may make the competition a priority this year – as a means of re-establishing their new club’s profile in Europe, with the Premier League title only a pipe dream until next season at least. First off, Steve McLaren will be bringing his FC Twente side (and his dodgy Dutch accent) to Eastlands on November 6. The Enschede club overcame Rennes in the first round proper, following their Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal.

City must then visit Gelsenkirchen to take on Schalke – managed by ex-Twente boss Fred Rutten. The Ruhr team have plenty of recent European experience: departing only in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last year. They also boast the likes of Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan among their attacking options.

PSG are only now beginning to regain their footing following years in the doldrums – a humiliating relegation scrap last season was the nadir (they qualified via a League Cup win). Paul Le Guen has managed to lure veterans Claude Makelele and Ludo Guily to aid the cause, but City should still be strong favourites for a win on home turf. Racing Santander – European debutants – shocked La Liga fans with last year’s 6^th place finish and have endured a tough start to the domestic season.

Each club, and many others, will surely be delighted to have swerved Group C – inevitably tagged the Group of Death. La Liga high-flyers Sevilla, 06/07 Bundesliga champions Stuttgart, Sampdoria (featuring the talents of Antonio Cassano), Everton’s skilful conquerors Standard Liège and Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade will battle it out for a place in the last 32.

Meanwhile, illustrious clubs such as Benfica, Valencia, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Feyenoord and ‘07 UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moskow will each expect to progress to take a shot at the title post-Christmas.

It’s the final UEFA Cup as we know it. It may not be the most desired trophy in football, but it is important to recognise the competition’s distinguished history – and that the Champions League is not the only show in town.