The performance at the UEFA Cup, the second competition most important in Europe’s football, comes with in an intense match day in which some of the best clubs will confront on the quest for a place in the coming round of 32 from the knockout stage. To pull off a spot on this journey, there will four more games played on every group, on which each participant team will have to do their best effort to advance to the K.O. rounds.
The leaders of Group A, Manchester City, stays on top with 6 points after an exciting encounter in which crushed with a 2-0 to Schalke 04. Although for that match the British couldn’t count on their Brazilian star Robinho, who’s out due to an injured ankle, they stand out thanks to the great work by Benjani Mwaruwari and Stephen Ireland. On the coming game the City will face the bottom squad of the A crew, Paris Saint Germain (1pt), who arrives after a tie with Racing Santander. The other Group A battle will take place between the Dutch Twente and German Schalke 04, who are by the moment on the third and second place respectively and alert to whatever happens with Racing.
Leading the Group B is Galatasaray that will deal as visitor with Hertha, who are coming with a lot of confidence and security subsequent to achieving an excellent performance at the German Bundesliga, where they are standing out with a great job as locals and their constant winning streak of the last 6 match-days, during which they have suffered just one defeat. On the other hand the clubs from the second game of the B troop have the objective of carry on the Cup and these are the Metalist Kharkiv from Ukraine and the Greek Olympiacos.
On the following group are Standard Liège, they will meet in a tough match that might put on jeopardy the top position of block C before the Italian Sampdoria. The other involves from C to play on December 3rd are Sevilla and Partizan, who were both whitewashed by Standard on their past matches; while for the Spaniards this has been the only loss (and the one that sent them to the penultimate position), for the Serbians is the third in a row, reason why they have been kept at the bottom of the table.
England’s club Tottenham, head of the D pack, will not play during this fourth date of Group Stage, which is a pro for to the Italian Udinese that own the same quantity of points them the English, plus a game more that could be their opportunity for exceeding them; therefore they will do all they can to crush Dinamo Zagreb. As well from D Spartak Moscow is going to face NEC Nijmegen. For Wolfsburg on the Group E, is its turn against Portsmouth, while it has the benefit that Milan _leader of the lot_ is off this date as well, what allows them to fight for the first place on their board. Besides, on the other clash Heerenveen will play Braga, who must win it to have a chance for the K.O rounds.
Still alive in the race for the spots to the Round of 32, are from the F Group, Aston Villa and Slavia, who will tackle respectively against Zilina and Hamburg. On Group G, Valencia will play facing the Belgium Brugge (Witches) and Copenhague versus Rosenborg. Meanwhile on H crew, Poland and Spain will show their best in the battle between Lech and Deportivo La Coruña and on the second encounter of Group H will meet face-to-face the Frenchmen of Nancy and CSKA Moscow, who owns right now the best record among all the squads, with 9 points after gaining victory in their first 3 games of the Group Stage.
Doubtless this is going to be a difficult journey for all the participants, since each one will do their possible best to assure a seat in the future stages of the European tournament, as AC Milan, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow has done it until now.
