Palermo (1) v (2) Slavia Prague
Rapid Bucuresti (1) v (0) Hertha Berlin
Levski Sofia (1) v (0) Artmedia Bratislava
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v (3) Lille
Steaua Bucharest (3) v (1) Heerenveen
Zenit St Petersburg (2) v (0) Rosenborg
Hamburg (0) v (1) FC Thun
Strasbourg (2) v (0) Liteks Lovetch
AZ (0) v (2) Real Betis
Lens (0) v (3) Udinese
Marseille (0) v (0) Bolton
Middlesbrough (2) v (1) VfB Stuttgart
Monaco (0) v (1) Basel
Roma (2) v (1) Club Brugge
Espanyol (2) v (1) Schalke
Sevilla (1) v (0) Lokomotiv Moscow
My only worry would be that they are 2-1 up and might be quite content just to sit back and defend the game rather than make a go of it to tie it up.
For all their troubles they have had Boro have now put in 2 very solid displays their last two games beating Chelsea comfortably and then 2-1 away in the first leg here.
Their problem in the EPL this season has been their inconsistent form. They seem to get too complacent against the sides they should be beating and then losing points and against the sides they are expected to get beat they up their game and put in quite a performance.
02-11 Middlesbro 3-0 Chelsea
10-29 Middlesbro 4-1 Man.Utd
09-10 Middlesbro 2-1 Arsenal
08-13 Middlesbro 0-0 Liverpool
The top 4 sides in the EPL and they are unbeaten against them at home.
They should have too much for a Stuttgart side with lots of problems it seems. Gerry wrote this for the last leg.
Quote:
Originally Posted by theGerman
..mhh... Stuttgart played bad in the first german league.They fired Trapp and Armin Veh signed in Stuttgart.Veh has no experience on the international soccer stage! He played 4 times as player in the UEFA Cup - 4 times as midfielder of gladbach.
Armin Veh trained the with abrasive methods.He said in an Kicker Interview that he want to come back to fight and powerful football.Trappatoni is a very passive coach with not so much fight.But Stuttgart need bite for the UEFA Cup.
Hardly inspiring situation for the Germans at the minute it would seem and Boro seem a worthwhile punt for me.
Palermo set on stopping Slavia
After Giuseppe Papadopulo's unbeaten record as US Cittŕ di Palermo coach was ended with a 2-1 defeat by SK Slavia Praha in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 first leg, the Italian team will seek to use home advantage to turn the tie in their favour. An Andrea Barzagli own goal proved decisive in the first encounter, after Lukáš Jarolím and Kewullay Conteh had traded first-half strikes, as the Czech side stepped up after booking their place in the knockout stages with the fewest points of all the qualifiers.
• Slavia's Group A campaign started in the best possible fashion as Pavel Fořt took just five minutes to break the deadlock against PFC CSKA Sofia. The striker scored again with 15 minutes remaining to complete a 4-2 win, which Slavia followed up with a battling 2-2 draw against Viking FK. Successive defeats by AS Monaco FC and Hamburger SV followed but the Czech team nonetheless qualified by virtue of goal difference.
• Palermo had no such troubles in Group B, and did not look back after opening their points account with a 2-1 victory against Maccabi Petach-Tikva FC on Matchday 1. Draws against FC Lokomotiv Moskva and RCD Espanyol followed before Luigi De Neri's side booked their place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 win at home to Brřndby IF.
• Novices at this stage, Palermo have never before encountered Czech opposition in UEFA competition, though Slavia have racked up a number of Italian conquests since making their debut in the 1985/86 UEFA Cup. They saw off AS Roma in the quarter-finals of the 1995/96 edition, prevailing on goal difference after winning the home leg 2-0.
• Slavia lost both legs of their UEFA Cup second-round tie against Bologna FC in 1998, but made amends against Udinese Calcio in the fourth round the following season when Libor Koller scored at the Stadio Friuli as the Czech side again triumphed on the away-goals rule.
Rapid ready to hamper Hertha
AFC Rapid Bucuresti continued the fine form which saw them seal their progress to the UEFA Cup knockout stages, taking a significant step towards the last 16 with an impressive 1-0 victory against nine-man Hertha BSC Berlin. Valentin Marian Negru scored the only goal from the penalty spot with 22 minutes remaining as the Romanian side earned their first ever away victory against German opposition. They have never failed to win at home against teams from the Bundesliga and should they maintain that record they will book a place in the Round of 16.
• Rapid were equally impressive in the group stages, sailing through despite losing their final game at VfB Stuttgart. By then passage was already assured for Razvan Lucescu's team, who won their first three fixtures without conceding a goal. Daniel Niculae and Mugurek Buga were both on target in a 2-0 victory at home to Stade Rennais FC, and they made it two in two when Marius Maldarasanu's late strike earned a last-gasp win at FC Shakhtar Donetsk. The midfield player was again on target against PAOK FC as Rapid cruised into the knockout stages.
• Andreas Neuendorf's goal midway through the second half gave Hertha a winning start to Group C against Halmstads BK in Sweden. But that was to prove the only goal they would score in qualifying – a record shared only by three teams that finished bottom of their sections – as they followed up with three consecutive goalless draws. RC Lens, UC Sampdoria and Rapid's city rivals FC Steaua Bucuresti were all held as Hertha edged through unbeaten.
• The match against Steaua was Hertha's only other meeting with Romanian opposition prior to the first-leg loss at home to Rapid. Meanwhile, Rapid had previously met German sides on five previous occasions, with a marked pattern evident in results with two home games both producing victories, and three away – including the Stuttgart game in the group stage - all ending in defeat.
• Rapid enjoyed early success when they defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Cup second-round tie in 1994/95. But with Tony Yeboah in fine fettle the Bundesliga outfit raced into a three-goal lead inside 17 minutes in the return leg, eventually easing to a 5-0 win. Two years later they were drawn with Karlsruher SC in the first round of the same competition, and the tie ended in similar disappointment as a 1-0 first-leg win was cancelled out with a comprehensive 4-1 defeat in Germany
Levski take stock of home comforts
PFC Levski Sofia will be looking to continue their formidable UEFA Cup home form when they welcome FC Artmedia to the Vassil Levski stadium for the second leg of their Round of 32 tie. An early Emil Angelov strike proved enough to give Stanimir Stoilov's side their first away victory in this season's competition in the first leg, as Artmedia endured a difficult first outing in the UEFA Cup after switching from the UEFA Champions League. However, that impressive campaign saw the Slovakian side earn a memorable victory at FC Porto and they could provide a stiff test to Levski.
• Levski had a mixed run in UEFA Cup Group F, winning both home fixtures and losing twice on their travels. A last-minute goal from substitute Emil Angelov ensured they opened their account with a 2-1 victory against FC Dinamo Bucuresti. Valeri Domovchiyski repeated the feat in added time at the end of their next match at reigning champions PFC CSKA Moskva, but that was not enough to avert a 2-1 defeat. Levski then beat Marseille at home, though the French side leapfrogged them at the top of the section when Levski lost their last game at SC Heerenveen.
• Artmedia kicked off their inaugural UEFA Champions League group stage campaign against FC Internazionale Milano, losing 1-0. But they were soon off the mark in Group H, and in memorable fashion, as Peter Petráš, Ján Kozák and Balázs Borbély all scored as the Slovakian side came from two goals down away against 2003/04 European champions Porto. Back-to-back draws against Rangers FC followed and although they were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by Inter on Matchday 5, a goalless draw with Porto secured a place in the UEFA Cup - although victory would have sent the Slovakian side into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
• Still minnows on the European stage, Artmedia have never before faced a Bulgarian side in UEFA competition, but Levski have encountered Slovakian opposition. The side were paired with ŠK Slovan Bratislava in the 1997/98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, when a side that included Hristo Yovov went into the second leg having drawn the first encounter 1-1 draw at the Vassil Levski.
• Nikolai Todorov handed the visitors an early advantage in the Slovakian capital but Levski were undone by goals from Róbert Novák and Jozef Mužlay and were eliminated.
Revived Shakhtar warm to the task
On the verge of elimination with just two minutes of their UEFA Cup Round of 32 first leg remaining, FC Shakhtar Donetsk will hope to continue the form that saw them pull back two last-gasp goals against LOSC Lille Métropole. The French side had scored just once in six games in the UEFA Champions League, but rediscovered their scoring touch in some style at the Villeneuve d'Ascq. Goals from Nicolas Fauvergue, Geoffrey Dernis and Peter Odemwingie saw them cruising with 13 minutes remaining, but Brandăo and Ciprian Marica struck late on to leave the tie wide open.
• Brandăo was also on target in the first game of Shakhtar's campaign as the side wasted little time in taking the initiative in UEFA Cup Group G, opening with two victories. The Brazilian striker scored the only goal of the game against PAOK FC from the penalty spot and compatriot Fernandinho was on target in the 2-0 victory at VfB Stuttgart in their second outing. Defeat at home to AFC Rapid Bucuresti followed, but Mircea Lucescu's team finished the campaign on a high note – winning 1-0 at Stade Rennais FC.
• Lille endured a sluggish start to their UEFA Champions League Group D campaign, following up a 1-0 opening-day defeat by SL Benfica with successive goalless draws against Villarreal CF and Manchester United FC. The Ligue 1 outfit defeated the English Premiership outfit in the reverse fixture at the Stade de France as Milenko Ačimovič scored what proved to be their only goal of the campaign. A goalless draw against Benfica followed before Lille ended the campaign with a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Villarreal.
• The group stage victory over Rennes was Shakhtar's second in three games against French opposition, but the first encounter was sullied by an aggregate loss. AS Monaco FC provided the opponents in the first round of the 1979/80 UEFA Cup, but it was Shakhtar that took the initiative in the first leg, building up a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Mikhail Sokolovski and Valeriy Rudakov.
• Jean Petit reduced the deficit with ten minutes remaining, and that goal proved decisive as Monaco scored twice just after half-time in the second leg to edge through to the second round.
• Before the first leg, Lille had not previously met Ukrainian opposition in UEFA competition
Steaua seek to end Dutch hoodoo
FC Steaua Bucuresti have one foot in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup as they approach the home leg of the their Round of 32 tie against SC Heerenveen with a handsome 3-1 advantage. The Romanian outfit recovered from conceding an early Arnold Bruggink goal in the Netherlands, as Nicolae Dica, Dorin Goian and Sorin Paraschiv were all on target to give Cosmin Olaroiu's team a comfortable first-leg advantage.
• It was the continuation of some fine form in this competition by the former European champions, who breezed through the group stage after an unbeaten campaign that brought eight points. Dica was also on target in a comprehensive 4-0 opening-day win against RC Lens at the Ghencea stadium and after a goalless draw at UC Sampdoria, Steaua scored three more unanswered goals in the Romanian capital against Halmstads BK. They completed their campaign with a 0-0 draw at Hertha BSC Berlin.
• By contrast, Heerenveen laboured through the group stage, needing a 2-1 victory in their last game against already-qualified PFC Levski Sofia to scrape through. Until then they had been bottom of Group F after picking up just two points from their opening three games, courtesy of goalless draws against Steaua's city rivals FC Dinamo Bucuresti and reigning champions PFC CSKA Moskva. A 1-0 loss at Olympique de Marseille followed before André Hanssen's added-time goal earned a last-gasp win against Levski.
• The first leg was the first time the teams have met in UEFA club competition, but the goalless draw against Dinamo in the group stage was Heerenveen's fourth against Romanian opposition. Their first meeting ended with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home to FC Farul Constanta in the quarter-finals of the 1995/96 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
• Their first trip to Romania ended in disappointment, however, when the Eredivisie side slumped to a 3-0 defeat by FC National Bucuresti in the first round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup. Heerenveen won the return leg 2-0, including a goal from Swedish defender Petter Hansson, but could not find a third as they were eliminated.
• The only Dutch outfit Steaua have ever faced is PSV Eindhoven, and after conceding 12 goals in four games against the perennial Eredivisie front-runners, they will be keen to try their luck against somebody else. PSV romped to a 7-0 aggregate win in the 1970/71 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but found themselves with a two-goal deficit 19 years later in the second round of the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
• Romanian legend Marius Lacatus added a second-leg goal to the one he scored in the first encounter in Romania to make it 2-0 on aggregate, before PSV hit back with aplomb as Juul Ellerman and Romario scored five between them.
Zenit St. Petersburg look set to see in the dawn of spring in Russia with their UEFA Cup ambitions still intact for the first time in their history as they defend a two-goal lead against Rosenborg BK at the Petrovsky stadium. Goals from Andrei Arshavin and Alexander Kerzhakov saw Vlastimil Petržela's team pick up a famous Round of 32 victory against a side that featured in the UEFA Champions League in the first half of the season. The result saw the Russian side extend their impeccable record against Norwegian opposition, and they can afford to see that feat ended and still qualify for the last 16.
• Zenit started their UEFA Cup campaign with a win, as goals from Olexandr Spivak, a penalty, and Andrei Arshavin set them on course for a 2-1 Group H victory against Vitória SC. A 1-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers FC followed before Vlastimil Petržela's side all but confirmed their place in the last 32 with a 2-1 win at home to Sevilla FC, with Aleksandr Kerzhakov scoring both goals. A point at Beşiktaş JK followed on Matchday 5 as Zenit secured second place in the section.
• Rosenborg's UEFA Champions League campaign started well as they ended a sequence of 16 away games without a win by coming from behind to pick up three points against Olympiacos CFP. Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Řyvind Storflor were both on target in the 3-1 victory, but three successive losses by Olympique Lyonnais and Real Madrid CF twice ended hopes of qualifying. A 1-1 draw with Olympiacos guaranteed third place in Group F, however, before the Norwegian side again lost to Lyon.
• The two sides have never before met in UEFA competition, but both have previously faced teams from their respective countries. Rosenborg have a poor record against Russian sides, and have now lost four of their five previous encounters.
• Their one win came in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup in the second leg of their first-round tie against FC Dinamo Moskva when they triumphed 2-0, but it did little to change the overall complexion of the tie as Dinamo were already leading 5-1 after the first encounter.
• Rosenborg took another two-goal lead against FC Spartak Moskva in the first group stage of the UEFA Champions League three years later but the Russian team stormed back with four unanswered goals to make it 4-2. They continued that momentum in the reverse fixture at the Luzhniki stadium, scoring four more before Karl-Petter Lřken gave Rosenborg a late consolation.
• Zenit have met just one Norwegian side before, when they were drawn against Vĺlerenga IF in the first round of the 1985/86 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Sergei Dimitrev broke the deadlock to set the home side on course for a 2-0 win in the first leg at the Petrovsky stadium, and repeated that feat in Norway two weeks later as Zenit completed a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Hamburger SV will covet a similar response to the last time they were defeated by Swiss opposition when they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit against FC Thun at the AOL Arena. The Bundesliga outfit conceded an identical advantage to FC Basel 1893 in the third round of the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup, but came storming back to win 3-2 at St. Jakob-Park in the second encounter to progress on the away-goals rule. The side will have to repeat the feat against Thun after Adriano Pimenta's first-half goal gave coach Heinz Peischl's victory in his first match at the helm.
• Peischl picked up where predecessor Urs Schönenberger left off after guiding Thun through the most successful season of European football in their history. The side came within seconds of a famous draw on their UEFA Champions League debut against Arsenal FC at Highbury but were denied by a 92nd-minute Dennis Bergkamp goal. The Bernese outfit were beneficiaries of late drama in their second outing when Selver Hodzic's late strike earned a 1-0 win against Sparta, before successive defeats by Arsenal and AFC Ajax twice ended any hopes of claiming a last-16 berth. However, a goalless draw against Sparta ensured they finished third in Group B, and earned a place in the UEFA Cup.
• Rafael van der Vaart was in inspired form as Hamburg opened their UEFA Cup Group A account with a 1-0 victory at PFC CSKA Sofia. The Dutchman was again on target in the 2-0 win against Viking FK at the AOL Arena, but he could do nothing to halt AS Monaco FC in the German side's third outing as they were defeated 2-0. Hamburg recovered from the setback, however, securing second in the section with a 2-0 victory against ten-man SK Slavia Prague.
• That result set up a tie against Thun – the second time the sides have met in as many seasons. Hamburg will have fond memories of last season's encounter in the third round of the Intertoto Cup, when Daniel Romeo scored twice to earn a 2-2 draw in the first leg at the Lachen stadium. Romeo then hit two more unanswered goals in the return leg as the German side eased through to the semi-finals.
• It was a disappointing result for Thun, who had won both legs of their tie against another Bundesliga outfit, VfL Wolfsburg, in the previous round, eventually winning 7-3 on aggregate.
• Before the first-leg defeat, Hamburg had lost just one of their previous ten encounters with Swiss opposition in UEFA competition, against Basel in 2000. They nevertheless overturned the deficit in the away leg, stretching a fine record against teams from neighbouring Switzerland.
Strasbourg set aside domestic strife
After ensuring that PFC Litex Lovech's first encounter with Ligue 1 opposition ended in disappointment, RC Strasbourg will be keen to make their maiden foray onto French turf equally unrewarding as they look to build on their 2-0 first-leg victory. Ulrich Le Pen and Amara Diané were both on target at the Gradski stadium, scoring either side of Milivoje Novakovič's 79th-minute penalty miss as Strasbourg brushed aside their domestic travails.
• Strasbourg have been doing so all season, their position at the wrong end of Ligue 1 in stark contrast to an impressive European campaign that saw them progress easily from a difficult-looking group. Like Litex, Jacky Duguépéroux's side got off to a great start, Diané and Arthur Boka laying down the platform for a 2-0 win at FC Basel 1893 with goals inside the first 25 minutes. They then defeated Tromsř IL by the same margin before drawing their final two games against AS Roma and FK Crvena Zvezda.
• Litex got their group campaign off to the best possible start, Novakovič's early goal setting them on course for a 2-1 win at home to Grasshopper-Club on Matchday 1. The Slovenian was on target again on Matchday 2 as Litex made it six points in two games with a 2-0 win at FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. But successive defeats by the same margin against Middlesbrough FC and AZ Alkmaar spoiled their progress and they scraped through in third.
• The French side do not have the best of records against Bulgarian opposition, however, despite winning their first encounter against PFC Slavia Sofia in the second round of the 1966 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. That came in the first leg but Strasbourg were unable to hold them off in the second leg, losing 2-0. They had to wait 30 years for their next game against opposition from the Bulgarian capital, drawing 0-0 against PFC CSKA Sofia in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Past meetings give AZ hope
Having never lost to Spanish opposition prior to their 2-0 defeat by Real Betis Balompié in the first leg, AZ Alkmaar will need to rediscover that edge if they are to keep alive their hopes of at least emulating last season's run to the semi-finals. Brazilian pair Diego Tardelli and Robert were both on target as two late goals saw Betis continue the form which saw them perform so well on their UEFA Champions League debut, laving AZ with an imposing deficit to overcome in this Round of 32 return at the Alkmaarderhout.
• The result was especially disappointing for the Eredivisie side as they had cruised into the UEFA Cup knockout stages after picking up three wins and a draw in Group D. Shota Arveladze and Tarik Sektioui were both on target as they opened with a 2-1 victory against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and the latter thought he had scored again at home to Middlesbrough FC but the strike was ruled out as AZ were held. The Moroccan striker did get his second of the campaign against PFC Litex Lovech in Bulgaria, and AZ ended the group stage with a 1-0 win against Grasshopper-Club at the Alkmaarderhout.
• Betis' UEFA Champions League campaign got off to a sluggish start in Group G as they quickly fell two goals behind against Liverpool FC on Matchday 1, although Arzu García did score a second-half consolation - the club's first ever goal in the competition. They earned their first points in their next outing against RSC Anderlecht but were brought back to earth with a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea. Dani's goal was enough to ensure revenge in the reverse fixture and although they then drew with Liverpool, a final-day defeat at home to Anderlecht meant they ended on a disappointing note.
• Betis and AZ have never before met in UEFA competition, but both have previously encountered opposition from their respective countries. The Spanish team will have pleasant memories of their only other matches against Dutch opposition, when they overcame Willem II in the second round of the 1998/99 UEFA Cup.
• Xisco Muńoz was part of the side that earned a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands in the first leg. Betis walked away with the tie in the return, however, as Finidi George, Benjamín Esono and Fernando Cipitria all scored in a comfortable 3-0 win.
• Before the first leg against Betis, AZ had never lost in normal time against Spanish opposition either, a notable record considering the calibre of their two previous opponents. In the 1977/78 UEFA Cup they were paired with FC Barcelona in the second round and took the lead through Kristen Nygaard just before half-time. Dutch international Johan Neeskens soon equalised for the visitors as Barça earned a draw. The second leg also ended 1-1 and the tie was eventually decided on penalties when AZ's hero from the first leg, Nygaard, missed the decisive spot-kick.
• The Alkmaar outfit enjoyed better fortune last season when they saw off Villarreal CF in the quarter-finals of the same competition. Much of the work was done in Spain where captain Denny Landzaat and Robin Nelisse scored in a 2-1 victory at El Madrigal. Kenneth Perez then added an early goal at the Alkmaarderhout, and although Villarreal equalised on the night, AZ went through to the semi-finals on aggregate, where they lost on away goals to Sporting Clube de Portugal
Lens look to leave Udinese standing
RC Lens have it all to do after Udinese Calcio stormed to a 3-0 win in the first leg of their UEFA Cup Round of 32 tie. Antonio Di Natale and Paulo Barreto (2) were both on target as the Bianconeri placed one foot firmly in the next round, although they will be aware that the French outfit have already demonstrated a propensity to veer from one extreme to the other this season - exemplified by a group campaign in which they bounced back from a 4-0 defeat by winning 5-0.
• Udinese, meanwhile, came within five minutes of marking their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign with a place in the knockout stages, before two late FC Barcelona goals deprived the Italian side of the point they needed on Matchday 6. It was a cruel end to a run that started with a 3-0 victory against Panathinaikos FC, whom they also defeated in the away fixture between the sides. However, defeats by Barça and Werder Bremen left Udinese needing a point from their last game, and it proved too great a final hurdle.
• Unlike the Bianconeri, Lens began their UEFA Cup Group C campaign sluggishly, slumping to an emphatic 4-0 defeat by FC Steaua Bucuresti in their opening fixture. They responded with aplomb, as a Daniel Cousin hat-trick inspired a 5-0 win at home to Halmstads BK, before the Ligue 1 side consolidated their position with a goalless draw against Hertha BSC Berlin. Still, they needed to win their final game against UC Sampdoria to book their place in the knockout stages, and left it late as substitute Issam Jemaa struck an added-time goal to earn a 2-1 win.
• Udinese have never before encountered French opposition in UEFA competition, while the first-leg loss was Lens' third in eight games against Italian sides. The French outfit will have fond memories of their first encounter against S.S. Lazio in the second round of the 1977/78 UEFA Cup, when they overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit in sensational style at the Stade Félix-Bollaert.
• Didier Six scored twice to send the tie to extra time, when Lens ran riot, scoring four more with Six completing his hat-trick and Moncef Djeballi adding two. The Rome outfit gained revenge in the first round of the 1996/97 UEFA Cup when they won 2-1 on aggregate, but it was honours even when Lens came up against AC Milan in the first group stage of the UEFA Champions League six years later.
• The Rossoneri won 2-1 at the San Siro thanks to two goals from Filippo Inzaghi. Daniel Moreira scored the French side's consolation and he was on target again in the reverse fixture, his goal just before half-time cancelling out Andriy Shevchenko's earlier strike. John Utaka then sealed a famous win against the eventual competition winners four minutes after the restart but it was not enough for Lens, who were eliminated.
Marseille draw on experience
Olympique de Marseille will be able to draw on the experience of countless European campaigns as they look to edge past Bolton Wanderers FC and into the UEFA Cup Round of 16. The Ligue 1 outfit held on for a battling goalless draw against the European debutants at the Reebok stadium and will be narrow favourites as they enjoy home advantage in the second leg at the Stade Véledrome.
• Marseille booked their passage to the knockout stages after just two games following successive wins against holders PFC CSKA Moskva and SC Heerenveen. Disappointment followed as a weakened side slipped to a 1-0 defeat by PFC Levski Sofia, but Jean Fernandez's team completed the group stage on a high, securing first place in the section with a 2-1 victory against FC Dinamo Bucuresti thanks to first-half goals from Bostjan Cesar and José Delfim.
• Bolton's progress was much edgier as they escaped a congested Group H courtesy of a Matchday 5 draw against section winners Sevilla FC. Until then, their hopes hung in the balance following 1-1 draws against Beşiktaş JK and Vitória SC and a narrow 1-0 victory at home to FC Zenit St. Petersburg. It left them needing a point against Sevilla on the last day to secure third place, and Bruno N'Gotty's second-half strike helped them to yet another 1-1 draw.
• This being Bolton's first European campaign, the teams have never before met in UEFA competition. The Premiership outfit have never met a French side either, but 1993 UEFA Champions League winners Marseille are old hands at this level, and have faced English opposition eleven times. Four of those games have ended in victory and ominously for Sam Allaryce's team, all triumphs occurred in France.
• Marseille's first encounter came in the first round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup Winners' cup when they were swept aside 4-0 by Southampton FC. The Ligue 1 outfit edged the return leg in France although they could not overturn the deficit. The pattern of losing away and winning at home continued in the UEFA Champions League in 1999/00 when they achieved those results against Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC in the first and second group stages respectively.
• But Marseille will have fond memories of their most recent games against English opposition, as they swept past Liverpool FC and Newcastle United FC en route to the 2003/04 UEFA Cup final. Now at Chelsea, Didier Drogba scored in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the fourth round first leg at Anfield. The Ivorian was on target again at home, cancelling out Emile Heskey's strike before defender Abdoulaye Méďté secured a 2-1 win.
• After overcoming FC Internazionale Milano in the last eight, Marseille were paired with Newcastle in the semi-finals. They held out for a goalless draw at St. James' Park before two goals from Didier Drogba in the return leg saw them seal a place in the final, where they lost to Valencia CF.
Middlesbrough home in on last 16
Middlesbrough FC took a significant 2-1 first-leg advantage against VfB Stuttgart in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, but Danijel Ljuboja's powerful late free-kick kept the Bundesliga team in contention. Goals in each half from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Stuart Parnaby gave Middlesbrough the upper hand and the Premiership outfit now return to the Riverside, where they have not failed to win – or conceded a goal – in this season's tournament.
• Although only in their second season in UEFA competition, Steve McClaren's team are already beginning to look old hands on this stage. They cruised through the group stage unbeaten, scoring six unanswered goals as they claimed three wins and one draw. Hasselbaink got the team off to a great start, scoring within ten minutes of their opening fixture against Grasshopper-Club. Middlesbrough claimed further wins against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and PFC Litex Lovech, either side of a goalless draw against AZ Alkmaar.
• Like Middlesbrough, Stuttgart qualified with a game to spare after winning two of their opening three Group G fixtures, 2-0 against Stade Rennais FC and 2-1 against PAOK FC. All four Stuttgart goals came in the last five minutes of those games, but there were no heroics at home to FC Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 2 when they lost 2-0. Mario Gómez ensured a final-day victory, however, scoring twice to set up a 2-1 success against AFC Rapid Bucuresti.
• Before the first leg, Middlesbrough had never before faced German opposition in UEFA competition, in contrast to Stuttgart, who have met English teams nine times in the last 14 years. Their first encounter was against Leeds United AFC in the first round of the 1992/93 European Champion Clubs' Cup. The German side looked to be cruising after a 3-0 first-leg victory but Leeds won the return 4-1 and a replay was forced after Stuttgart fielded an ineligible player, with Leeds triumphing at FC Barcelona's Camp Nou.
• Four-and-a-half years later Stuttgart fared little better against Chelsea FC in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing to Gianfranco Zola's second-half strike. A win and a defeat against Manchester United FC followed in the 2003 UEFA Champions League group stage, and they qualified with the Premiership side before being were drawn with Chelsea in the first knockout round.
• Fernando Meira's early own goal gave Chelsea a 1-0 win in the first leg, in which current Middlesbrough striker Hasselbaink came on as a late substitute. The second leg finished goalless, meaning Stuttgart's hopes were again ended by English opposition.
UEFA Cup 23rd Feb
