A couple of domestic upsets.
43 EMPOLI - Juventus 2:1 18 Arsenal - NEWCASTLE 1:1
It's worth noting that Juventus hasn't won a domestic cup match in two seasons.
Group D of How Will Portugal Mess This One Up?
AC Milan - Celtic 1:0
Shakhtar Donetsk - Benfica 1:2
ACM 13 CEL 9 BEN 7 SHA 6
Top seeds AC come out on top, but Portugal has messed it up again: Celtic took a home win to upset Benfica and progress to the second round. Benfica join Panathaikos, Slavia Prague, and Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Cup First Round Proper. Who will join them?
UEFA Cup, Group Phase, Matchday Four
Figures in brackets are goal difference, only listed where it's relevant to qualification.
Group A of AZ
Everton - Zenit St Petersburg 1:0
Nürnburg - AZ Alkmaar 2:1 (36)
Idle: Larissa
EVE* 9 ZSP 5 (0) AZA* 4 (0) NUR* 4 (-1) LAR* 0
Group B of Mutton
Panathanaikos - Lokomotiv Moscow 2:0
Køvehaben - Atlético Madrid 0:2
Idle: Aberdeen
PAN* 9 AMD* 7 COP* 3 LOK 2 ABD* 1
Group C of Seeding
Villarreal - IF Elfsborg 2:0
Mladá Boleslav - AEK Athens 0:1
Idle: Fiorentina
VIL* 7 FIO* 5 (+5) AEK* 5 (+1) BLV* 3 (0) ELF 1
Group D of Dwarves
Basle - Brann 1:0
Dinamo Zagreb - Hamburg 0:2
Idle: Rennes
HAM* 9 BAS* 7 BRN 4 (-1) DZA* 1 (-3) REN* 1 (-4)
Matchday 5 (two weeks), is Idle versus Third team, Fourth versus First.
In A, Larissa was already out, Everton has progressed, and will now travel to AZ where the home side needs a win to assure qualification. Nürnburg can also qualify with a win against Larissa; a draw in the latter match, or anything less than 3:3 in Alkmaar, will allow ZSP to progress.
In B, Panathanaikos qualified after just two matches, joined this week by Atlético. Aberdeen needs to win when hosting Køvenhaben in the final round.
In C, there was a winner in Boleslav - AEK, ensuring that Elfsborg's campaign is over, and Villarreal has qualified. The Czechs need to win in Florence to go through, and AEK needs to avoid defeat at home to Villarreal to ensure their place.
In D, Hamburg's win put them through, and Basle. Brann would like a draw in the Rennes - Zagreb match, but a win by a single goal would suffice for them.
Group E of Goal Difference
Bayer Leverkusen - Sparta Prague 1:0
Spartak Moscow - FC Zurich 1:0
Idle: Toulouse
SPM* 7 (+2) ZUR* 6 (+2) BYL* 6 (+1) PRG 4 TOU* 0
Group F of Bayern
Crvena Zvedza - Bolton 0:1
Aris Thessaloniki - Braga 1:1
Idle: Bayern München
BOL 6 (+1) ASS* 5 (+3) BAY* 5 (+1) BRG* 3 (0) CRZ* 0
Group G of Winners
Anderlecht - Tottenham 1:1
AaB Alborg - Getafe 1:2
Idle: Hapoel Tel Aviv
TOT 7 GET* 5 (+1) AND* 4 (+2) HTA* 3 (-3) AAL* 1
Group H of Upsets
Bordeaux - Helsingborgs 2:1
Austia Wien - Panionios 0:1
Idle: Galatasaray
BDX* 9 HEL 7 PIO* 4 (-2) GAL* 3 (+1) AWI* 0
Qualification from group E is all sorted out, it's just the ordering of sides that is up for grabs.
Crvena Zvedza are out of group F, and Braga needs to beat the Serbian side to stand any chance of qualification: even so, a draw between München and Aris will put both through, and leave Braga needing to win by two goals or scoring four.
Tottenham are through from G, Alborg are out, and a winner of Getafe-Anderlecht would top the group.
Bordeaux join Helsingborgs in the next round; Austria Wien will play out in Galatasaray.
Next week...
Friday 1930 Set1 Borussia Dortmund -v- Arminia Bielefeld Saturday 1030 Set2 Arsenal -v- CF America Sudamerica final, second leg. 1500 BBC1 Crusaders -v- Linfield Northern Ireland only. 1715 Set1 Reading -v- Liverpool 1830 Set2 Eintracht Frankfurt -v- Schalke 04 (tape) 2200 Set2 Willem II -v- Ajax (tape) 2225 BBC1 Match of the Day (highlights) Sunday 0925 ITV The Division II (highlights) 1130 Set2 VVV Venlo -v- Feyenoord 1330 Set1 Middlesbrough -v- Arsenal 1400 C5 Juventus -v- Atlanta 1600 Set2 Nürnberg -v- Hertha Berlin 1830 TV5 France 2 Foot (highlights) 2000 Set2 Auxerre -v- PSG 2205 BBC2 Match of the Day 2 (highlights) Monday 1930 Celt Celtic -v- St Mirren (tape) Tuesday 1945 ITV Marseille -v- Liverpool 1945 ITV4 Chelsea -v- Valencia Wednesday 2000 Celt Celtic -v- Falkirk (tape) Thursday 2100 BBC4 A Game of Two Eras FA Cup Finals compared, 1957 -v- 2007. 2300 Rang Rangers -v- Lyon (tape)
The previously billed match between Gretna and Rangers on Sunday will not now take place.
