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Journalism of Courage
Hamburg, Nov 23: Football purists will test the new format of European Club tournaments as a battle of former Champions League hopefuls makes up the top billing of this Week’s UEFA Cup third-round action. Glasgow Rangers and Borusia Dortmund could not finish in the top two of their respective groups in the first round of the Champions League but have new life in the UEFA Cup, where the two will square off on Thursday.
The Scottish champs hope to take out their anger for being dropped out of the Champions League on the German side Dortmund. Rangers had a chance to advance into the second round stage of the Champions League but lost 1-0 to German leaders Bayern Munich.
The consolation prize for Glasgow could be the UEFA Cup title, as the eight third-place teams from the Champions League have joined the third round of the UEFA Cup and are involved in many of the top match-ups.
Titleholders Parma lead a five-team Italian contingent as they face Champions League dropouts Sturm Graz of Austria Thursday athome. Parma will likely be without Alain Boghossian and Paolo Vanoli, who both suffered injuries on the weekend.
Roma hope to build on their convincing 4-1 thrashing of city rivals and Serie A leaders Lazio when they face a struggling Newcastle squad.
Bologna, who are ninth in the Serie A, will have a tough test Tuesday at home against Galatasaray, Istanbul. The Turks are inspired after defeating AC Milan in the last match of Champions League to qualify for the UEFA Cup and knock the Italian giants out of all European competitions this year.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm surrounding this match because Turkish teams have rarely done well in Europe,” said veteran goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel. “We know Bologna are strong, but we are extremely concentrated.”
Fellow Italians Udinese face the struggling German club Bayer Leverkusen, who crashed out of the Champions League and have dropped to fourth in the German Bundesliga.
The final Italian club, Juventus, second in the Serie A, take on ChampionsLeague qualifiers Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday.
The four-team Spanish contingent could have problems with their third-round opponents. Spanish leaders Deportivo La Coruna should have little trouble with Greece’s Panathinaikos, and Atletico Madrid will be without striker Kiko Narvaez but face German outsiders VFL Wolfsburg.
Real Mallorca started the season slowly and are improving, but they face Dutch leaders Ajax Amsterdam, who have stormed through their two UEFA Cup opponents thus far.
Celta Vigo, second in the Spanish League, could have difficulties with Portuguese leaders Benfica Lisbon, who want to bounce back from their domestic loss to Porto.
Leeds United will have Australian winger Harry Kewell back in the lineup for Thursday’s matchup with Champions League dropouts Spartak Moscow in the freezing Russian capital.
Arsenal were humiliated by their dismissal from the Champions League and now look to take their revenge out on Nantes after the English giants crushed Middlesborough 5-1 on theweekend.
