UEFA Cup 2008-2009
Spurs and Villa up against dark horses from the East
Ozren Podnar
Only Portsmouth failed to progress from the group stage out of
the English contingent, but the next round could severely deplete
the Premiership representation.
Aston Villa will have to face the 2005 UEFA Cup winners, CSKA
of Moscow. Led by the coveted Brazilian Vágner Love, the
Russians won all of their four group matches and will not be a bit
frightened when they travel to Birmingham.
The Ukrainian champions Shakhtar have been making a name for themselves
over the past ten years. Managed and financed by the "almighty"
tycoon Rinat Akhmetov, of coal mining fame, they feature several
Brazilians like Jadson and Willian plus a great right winger in
the Croat Darijo Srna, who overtly claims his team believe themselves
capable of winning the cup this time around.
Villa and Spurs are actually on a collision course, because a
Battle of England will ensue in the quarterfinals should both of
them go through.
Manchester City face a bit softer competition in FC Kopenhagen,
but anything less than a 100% approach from Robinho and his teammates
will result in a sad elimination.
Emotional battles are in sight as Valencia travel to Kiev to meet
mighty Dinamo and Bordeaux receive the 2000 winners, Galatasaray.
The reigning champions Zenit
take on Stuttgart in yet another evenly balanced tie, while Milan
look clear favourites to oust another awkward German side, Werder.
Finally, Ajax will have to make do without their Real-bound star
striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar against Fiorentina, hoping their Argentino-Croatian
reinforcement Dario Cvitanich will finally start confirming his
reputation four months after joining the Amsterdam side.
Round of 32
Paris SG vs. Wolfsburg
Sporting Braga vs. Standard
FC Kopenhagen vs. Manchester City
Aalborg vs. Deportivo La Coruna
NEC Nijmegen vs. Hamburger SV
Bordeaux vs. Galatasaray
Sampdoria vs. Metalist Kharkiv
Dinamo Kiev vs. Valencia
Aston Villa vs. CSKA Moscow
Shakhtar vs. Tottenham
Lech vs. Udinese
Zenit vs. Stuttgart
Olympiacos vs. St. Etienne
Werder Bremen vs. Milan
Fiorentina vs. Ajax
Marseille vs. Twente
First leg- 18th/19th February
Second leg- 25th/26th February
Round of 16
Paris SG vs. Wolfsburg / Braga vs. Standard
FC Kopenhagen vs. Manchester City / Aalborg vs. Deportivo
NEC Nijmegen vs. HSV / Bordeaux vs. Galatasaray
Sampdoria vs. Metalist Kharkiv / Dinamo Kiev vs. Valencia
Aston Villa vs. CSKA Moscow / Shakhtar vs. Tottenham
Lech vs. Udinese / Zenit vs. Stuttgart
Olympiacos vs. St. Etienne / Werder Bremen vs. Milan
Fiorentina vs. Ajax / Marseille vs. Twente
Results of the group stage
Group A
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Manchester City |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
7 |
|
| Twente |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
6 |
|
| Paris SG |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
|
| Rácing |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
|
| Schalke 04 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
1. round
Schalke 04 vs. Paris SG 3-1
Twente vs. Rácing 1-0
2. round.
Manchester City vs. Twente 3-2
Rácing vs. Schalke 04 1-1
3. round
Schalke 04 vs. Manchester City 0-2
Paris SG vs. Rácing 2-2
4. round
Manchester City vs. Paris SG 0-0
Twente vs. Schalke 04 2-1
5. round
Rácing vs. Manchester City 3-1
Paris SG vs. Twente 4-0
Group B
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Metalist Kharkiv |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
|
| Galatasaray |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
9 |
|
| Olympiakos |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
|
| Hertha |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
|
| Benfica |
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
1 |
|
|
1. round
Galatasaray vs. Olympiakos 1-0
Hertha vs. Benfica 1-1
2. round.
Metalist Kharkiv vs. Hertha 0-0
Benfica vs. Galatasaray 0-2
3. round
Galatasaray vs. Metalist Kharkiv 0-1
Olympiakos vs. Benfica 5-1
4. round
Hertha vs. Galatasaray 0-1
Metalist Kharkiv vs. Olympiakos 1-0
5. round
Olympiakos vs. Hertha 4-0
Benfica vs. Metalist Kharkiv 0-1
Group C
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Standard Liege |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
9 |
|
| Stuttgart |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
7 |
|
| Sampdoria |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
|
| Sevilla |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
|
| Partizan |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
0 |
|
|
1. round
Sevilla vs. Stuttgart 2-0
Partizan vs. Sampdoria 1-2
2. round.
Stuttgart vs. Partizan 2-0
Standard Liege vs. Sevilla 1-0
3. round
Sampdoria vs. Stuttgart 1-1
Partizan vs. Standard Liege 0-1
4. round
Sevilla vs. Partizan 3-0
Standard Liege vs. Sampdoria 3-0
5. round
Sampdoria vs. Sevilla 1-0
Stuttgart vs. Standard Liege 3-0
Group D
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Udinese |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
|
| Tottenham |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
|
| NEC |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
|
| Spartak Moscow |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
|
| Dinamo Zagreb |
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
9 |
3 |
|
|
1. round
Dinamo vs. NEC
3-2
Udinese vs. Tottenham 2-0
2. round.
Spartak Moscow vs. Udinese 1-2
Tottenham vs. Dinamo 4-0
3. round
NEC vs. Tottenham 0-1
Dinamo vs. Spartak Moscow 0-1
4. round
Udinese vs. Dinamo 2-1
Spartak Moscow vs. NEC 1-2
5. round
Tottenham vs. Spartak Moscow 2-2
NEC vs. Udinese 2-0
Group E
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Wolfsburg |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
13 |
7 |
10 |
|
| Milan |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
5 |
8 |
|
| Sporting Braga |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
|
| Portsmouth |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
4 |
|
| Heerenveen |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
13 |
0 |
|
|
1. round
Heerenveen vs. Milan 1-3
Sporting Braga vs. Portsmouth 3-0
2. round.
Wolfsburg vs. Heerenveen 5-1
Milan vs. Sporting Braga 1-0
3. round
Portsmouth vs. Milan 2-2
Sporting Braga vs. Wolfsburg 2-3
4. round
Heerenveen vs. Sporting Braga 1-2
Wolfsburg vs. Portsmouth 3-2
5. round
Milan vs. Wolfsburg 2-2
Portsmouth vs. Heerenveen 3-0
Group F
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| HSV |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
9 |
|
| Ajax |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
|
| Aston Villa |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
| Zilina |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
| Slavia Prague |
4 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
|
|
1. round
Zilina vs. HSV 1-2
Aston Villa vs. Ajax 2-1
2. round.
Slavia Prague vs. Aston Villa 0-1
Ajax vs. Zilina 1-0
3. round
Zilina vs. Slavia Prague 0-0
HSV vs. Ajax 0-1
4. round
Slavia Prague vs. HSV 0-2
Aston Villa vs. Zilina 1-2
5. round
Ajax vs. Slavia Prague 2-2
HSV vs. Aston Villa 3-1
Group G
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| Saint Etienne |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
|
| Valencia |
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
|
| Kopenhagen |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
|
| Club Brugge |
4 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
| Rosenborg |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
|
|
1. round
Rosenborg vs. Club Brugge 0-0
Kopenhagen vs. Saint Etienne 1-3
2. round.
Saint Etienne vs. Rosenborg 3-0
Valencia vs. Kopenhagen 1-1
3. round
Rosenborg vs. Valencia 0-4
Club Brugge vs. Saint Etienne 1-1
4. round
Valencia vs. Club Brugge 1-1
Kopenhagen vs. Rosenborg 1-1
5. round
Club Brugge vs. Kopenhagen 0-1
Saint Etienne vs. Valencia 2-2
Group H
Team |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Pts |
|
| CSKA Moscow |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
5 |
12 |
|
| Deportivo |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
|
| Lech Poznan |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
| Nancy |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
7 |
4 |
|
| Feyenoord |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
|
|
1. round
CSKA Moscow vs. Deportivo 3-0
Nancy vs. Feyenoord 3-0
2. round.
Lech Poznan vs. Nancy 2-2
Feyenoord vs. CSKA Moscow 1-3
3. round
CSKA Moscow vs. Lech Poznan 2-1
Deportivo vs. Feyenoord 3-0
4. round
Nancy vs. CSKA Moscow 3-4
Lech Poznan vs. Deportivo 1-1
5. round
Deportivo vs. Nancy 1-0
Feyenoord vs. Lech Poznan 0-1
|
