Having made his breakthrough with Panathinaikos during the 2006-2007, an injury kept Ninis out of the starting eleven for the majority of last year. Looking for a fresh start this year, little changed this September as the twice capped Greece international has only made two appearances for Panathinaikos this year. The youngster will hope to return the squad as soon as possible but absences from the club’s Champions League lineup as well as the past weekend’s tilt with Aris have left many PAO supporters scratching their heads.

Ninis limited playing time with the “Tryfilli” will not benefit the youngster in his attempt to crack Greece’s starting eleven during the qualifiers. Having made his debut against Cyprus in a friendly before EURO 2008, Ninis was excluded from the continental championships. For a player tipped to be Greece’s next footballing icon, the opportunity to shine is surely eluding him in the early stages of his bright career.

With both sides having difficulty in the opening fixtures of their respective domestic campaign, the two sides taking to the OAKA pitch on Tuesday looked to the Champions League for confidence. Panathinaikos, underdogs heading into the game, looked to prove their critics wrong and send a shock through Europe. Inter Milan looked to the game as a chance to silence critics of their own, and stave off the pressure settling in at the San Siro.

Both teams started off slowly, as Ibrahimovic thirteenth minute effort – which trickled wide — was the lone effort of the first fifteen minutes. The missed opportunity seemed to spark the visitors who began to increase their attacking presence. Ricardo Quaresma drilled a shot towards the far corner, but an alert Mario Galinovic pushed the shot wide. Next was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Sweden international was kept off the score sheet with his attempt punched away. However, Galinovic’s efforts went to waste thanks to sloppy defending from Ioannis Goumas and Mikael Nilsson. A sly Ibrahimovic was at the center of attack again, but after beating both of Panathinaikos stretched defenders, Ibrahimovic sent the ball to the path of a late Mancini who easily placed the ball passed a stranded Galinovic.

Somewhat deflated by the Inter breakthrough, Panathinaikos looked to respond with a goal of their own and the culprit was not one to be expected. Bryce Moon began a series of three efforts that left Inter reeling. A second try from the South African was not as spectacular, but Inter keeper, Julio Cesar, was forced to collect the low shot. After Moon’s first shot was pushed over the bar, his third came much closer; a deflection off Marco Materazzi saw the ball ricochet off the stubborn crossbar kept the Inter goal pure.

Hoping to convert the mini flurry of opportunities to goals in the second half, with half time substitute, Andreas Ivanschitz, providing the leadership in the second interval. Captain of the Austrian National Team, Ivanschitz began to turn the tide on Inter. With efforts of his own – a low shot pushed away by Julio Cesar, followed by a testy free-kick which dipped and nearly fooled Julio Cesar – Ivanschitz became the catalyst of Panathinaikos second half revival. However, the progression towards an equalizer took a step in the negative when Adriano doubled Inter’s lead four minutes ahead of time. The Brazilian was left unchallenged in the Panathinaikos box, and the criticised striker made no mistake by beating a yet-again stranded Galinovic.

Although the visitors were heavy favourites ahead of the clash in Athens, the loss was surely disappointing for centenary-celebrating Panathinaikos. A return to the UEFA Champions League group stage was not a memorable on for Panathinaikos, while another returnee, Jose Mourinho enjoyed a satisfying return to the most prestigious club competition.

Not only did the Athenian giants lose the game, they also lost inspirational midfielder Georgios Karagounis. The Greece international has suffered many setbacks this season already, and the injury suffered against his former team could have been caused by rushing his return to the squad.

In the groups other game, tournament rookies, Anorthosis Famagusta, grabbed an impressive draw against Werder Bremen at the Weser Stadion in Germany.

Panathinaikos will now have to wait for their matchday two tilt in Cyprus, against Anorthosis, to resume their chase of their first points of the group stage. As for Inter, they will host Werder Bremen at the San Siro, in a bid to solidify their spot atop Group B.

Man of the match: The honour of the Fans’ Man of the Match presented by Vodafone was awarded to Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Sweden international played a key role in Inter’s triumph in Athens, as he assisted on both of his side’s goals.

Panathinaikos 0-2 Inter Milan
Mancini 27′, Adriano 85′

Yellow Cards:
Panathinaikos – Cleyton 33′
Inter Milan – Materazzi 22′, Maicon 46′

Panathinaikos (Henk Ten Cate): Galinovic, Moon (82′ Souza), Nilsson (72′ Christodoulopoulos), Goumas, Vyntra, Mattos, Gilberto Silva, Simao, Cleyton, Karagounis (37′ Ivanschitz), Salpingidis.

Inter Milan (Jose Mourinho): Julio Cesar, Cordoba, Zanetti, Maxwell, Ibrahimovic, Maicon, Viera (63′ Muntari), Cambiasso, Materazzi, Mancini (81′ Adriano), Quaresma (61′ Figo).

Venue: OAKA Spyros Louis, Athens, Greece

Referee: Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)

The Greek Super League will return to action this weekend, after a break in play for international fixtures. A handful of teams, including Larissa, Olympiakos, and AEK will look to continue their perfect starts. Meanwhile, Panathinaikos and Panionios will be in search of their first victories.

The weekend starts with four games scheduled for a Saturday kickoff. Iraklis continues its home stay with Cretan club OFI FC visiting Kautanzogleio. Both clubs opened the season with a loss at home, only increasing the pressure for this coming weekend. Allowing a late strike dashed Iraklis’ chances of a successful start, while OFI was overpowered by PAOK.

Kicking off at the same time will be Skoda Xanthi and defending champions Olympiakos. Xanthi welcome the Piraeus giants, and will have a tricky task with the thus far perfect ‘Eruthroleuki’. The home side will be keen to continue their winning streak, after a 1-0 defeat of Panionios gave Xanthi a perfect start. Olympiakos will also be favoured to win, but injuries to club captain Predrag Djordjevic and matchday one MVP Luciano Galletti cause concern amongst the Piraeus ranks. Galletti scored twice in Olympiakos triumph over Asteras Tripolis, but the Argentine is expected to sit this one out. The visitors will look to stay focused, as their sights could linger to their midweek UEFA Cup encounter with Danish side FC Nordsjælland.

After slipping 2-1 in the Athenian derby against AEK, Panathinaikos returns to action and a win against promoted club Panthrakikos is highly expected. The Champions League will provide a distraction for the ‘Tryfilli’, as a meeting with Italian Champions Inter Milan looms midweek. Panthrakikos were robbed a Super League debut victory, as Ergotelis notched a 2-1 away win. The task will be much more draining this weekend against the Athenian giants. However, with no pressure on the visitors, Panathinaikos could be in for a rough match themselves. A win will be crucial for Panathinaikos, not only for the league race, but to boost confidence ahead of their opening Champions League fixture.

Closing out Saturday’s matches is an encounter between Panserraikos and Panionios. Panserraikos sealed an impressive return to the Greek top flight with a win over Iraklis in Thessaloniki. Summer signing, Patrick Zoundi, scored a brace to see the Serres club upset the home side. On the flip side, their second round opponents will be hungry for a win after coming up short against Xanthi in their season opener. Panionios has made a flurry of late transfers to replace the departed Rafik Djebbour. The acquisitions of Alvaro Recoba and Fabian Estoyanoff have boosted the hopes around Nea Smyrni. It is unclear if the two ‘bam’ signings will make their club debuts this coming weekend, nonetheless the match should offer plenty of intrigue.

Matchday two closes out on Sunday, with the remaining four matches taking place across Greece. Thrasyvoulos will look to make up for the destruction left by Larissa’s 3-0 demolition of the newly promoted club. An evenly matched encounter with Levadiakos could see the Super League debutants grab their first points of the season. Their opponents will be enjoying the comforts of their home ground, and they too will be keen to grab their first points of the new term. A 2-0 loss to Aris seemed inevitable, but the meeting with Thrasyvoulos could make up for the club’s matchday one blunders.

Two undefeated clubs look to continue their perfect starts, as Ergotelis welcome Aris to the Pangkritio Stadium. Both teams avoided any opening round shocks, but for Ergotelis the leeway was slim as Panthrakikos gave the Cretan club a real scare. For Aris a disappointing early exit from European competition was quickly brushed aside, and the club nickname ‘God of War’ cruised to a 2-0 victory over Levadiakos. The Thessaloniki based side will be favoured to continue their perfect start, but Ergotelis’ home advantage could prove to be a tricky task for Aris.

Two potential dark horses rekindle their rivalry in Tripoli as Larissa put their winning start on the line against home side Asteras Tripolis. The latter made their home ground a fortress last year, and pulled of shock defeats of Greece’s ‘Big 3′. However, a 3-1 loss to Olympiakos could dampen the team’s spirits but the midweek signing of Cameroon international Roudolphe Douala adds depth to an injury bit side. As for Larissa, a 3-0 win over Thrasyvoulos initiated early season celebrations as the club’s summer facelift proved to be a success on matchday one. Nolberto Solano played a well rounded seventy-five minutes, but Laurent Robert will be hoping for a spike in his minutes after being limited to a mere three minutes.

He weekend and the matchday conclude with a mouth-watering revival of the rich rivalry between PAOK and AEK. PAOK Toumba Stadium will be the venue for this early season derby, and the home side will look to test their revitalized roster. Led by the profitable knowledge of club president Theodoros Zagorakis, and manager Fernando Santos, PAOK pulled off many squad bolstering transfers this past summer. A dominant performance against OFI gave a glimpse of PAOK’s potential, but the Thessaloniki giants will be in tough against a confident AEK outfit. After defeating rivals Panathinaikos at OAKA, AEK will be looking to make it two-for-two in derbies this season as the ‘Enosis’ continued to adapt to Georgios Donis’ tactics. With Greece international Angelos Basinas at full fitness, AEK will be keen to avoid wasting their fine start.

Matchday two looks to top its predecessor in excitement, with several well matched encounters scheduled for kickoff this weekend. In all, eight clubs will look to double their winning streaks, while the remaining eight have their sights on their first wins of the season.

Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan are clear favourites to win the group, and with a formidable line-up it will be quite the task to keep them away from the pole position in Group B. Georgios Karagounis, a former member of the ‘Nerrazurri’ faces a return to the San Siro.

It’s another reunion of sorts for Panathinaikos and Werder Bremen; both sides met in the group stages of three years ago. Managing to beat the Germans 2-1 in Athens, Panathinaikos was then romped 5-1 at the Weser Stadion. Confidence could be with Panathinaikos as Werder Bremen found it uneasy to cope against Olympiacos last season.

Anorthosis Famagusta round out the group and Panathinaikos will make sure they learn from Olympiacos mistakes against the Cypriot champions. Eliminating the Greek Champions in the third and final qualifying round, Anorthosis Famagusta makes it Champions League group stage debut this season.

The draw produced other interesting matchups in the remaining groups. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will be the venue for the May’s final, and tenants, AS Roma, face a bumpy route in their bid to reach the climax. The Romans will encounter Chelsea FC, Bordeaux, and Romanian club CFR Cluj.

Semi-finalists last year, FC Barcelona will meet with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, Swiss side Basel, and Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk. Like the Catalan club, Liverpool reached the final four as well. PSV Eindhoven joins the ‘Reds’ in Group D; but like last year, Liverpool will face a visit from French club Marseille. The headline matchup could be a return to Spain for Fernando Torres, with the Spain international facing a return to his former club, Atletico Madrid.

Defending Champions, Manchester United, begin their title defense in Group E. The ‘Red Devils’ have been drawn against Spanish club Villarreal, Scottish rivals Celtic FC, as well as Danish club AaB Aalborg. Bayern Munich returns to the Champions League after a one year absence, and the Bundesliga Champions face encounters with Olympique Lyon, Steaua Bucuresti, and fellow returnees Fiorentina.

Arsenal headlines a very competitive Group G, as the English club is joined by Portuguese league winners FC Porto, Luis Aragones’ Fenerbahce, and Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv. The final group could play out as the group of death, as the most successful club in Champions League history make their introduction. Spain’s capital club Real Madrid are joined by Serie A contenders Juventus, UEFA Cup Champions Zenit St. Petersburg, and Champions League new boys BATE Borisov.

Group A:
Chelsea FC (England)
AS Roma (Italy)
FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France)
CFR 1907 Cluj (Romania)

Group B:
FC Internazionale Milano (Italy)
Werder Bremen (Germany)
Panathinaikos FC (Greece)
Anorthosis Famagusta FC (Cyprus)

Group C:
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland)
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Group D:
Liverpool FC (England)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Olympique de Marseille (France)
Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain

Group E:
Manchester United FC (England)
Villarreal CF (Spain)
Celtic FC (Scotland)
Aalborg BK (Denmark)

Group F:
Olympique Lyonnais (France)
FC Bayern München (Germany)
FC Steaua Bucureşti (Romania)
ACF Fiorentina (Italy)

Group G:
Arsenal FC (England)
FC Porto (Portugal)
Fenerbahçe SK (Turkey)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)

Group H:
Real Madrid CF (Spain)
Juventus (Italy)
FC Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia)
FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)

With Olympiacos set for a UEFA Cup appearance, Panathinaikos has their sights set on Monaco where the draw for the Champions League group stages is set to take place tomorrow afternoon. The Greek club will hope to avoid tricky tasks they have been paired with in the past; but at this stage of the competition there is no such thing as an ‘easy’ draw.

Defending Champions, Manchester United, is expected to make a strong push for a second consecutive title, and the Premier League Champions could be paired up with the lone Greek club. Gilberto Silva could face a return to London and his former club, Arsenal FC. Having a long European history, a Panathinaikos-Arsenal pairing could be a reunion of sorts. Another of the third round qualifiers, Barcelona was included in Panathinaikos’ group in the club’s last Champions League go-around. The Spanish giants have acquired a new look with the departure of superstar Brazilian Ronaldinho.

The most successful club in the competition is none other than Real Madrid. Los Galácticos encountered a matchup with Olympiacos in the group stages, and have met Greek clubs on several occasions in the past. No matter the opposition, Real Madrid is always a favourite in this competition.

Like Barcelona, Pot 2 club, Werder Bremen, was also part of the group in Panathinaikos’ last Champions League campaign. The German club won’t be fond of a return trip to Greece, after being thumped at home and on the road by Olympiacos last year.

Despite the ‘dream’ matchups that are conceived by Panathinaikos supporters – or those of any club – nothing can be certain until after the draw is complete. However, one thing is for certain, Panathinaikos won’t be paired with the remaining Pot 3 clubs. Meaning the likes of Marseille, Zenit St. Petersburg, Steaua Bucureşti, Bordeaux, Celtic, Basel, and Fenerbahçe won’t be making the trip to the Greek capital – at least for the group stages.

Pot 1:
Manchester United FC (England)
Chelsea FC (England)
Liverpool FC (England)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Arsenal FC (England)
Olympique Lyonnais (France)
FC Internazionale Milano (Italy)
Real Madrid CF (Spain)

Pot 2:
FC Bayern München (Germany)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Villarreal CF (Spain)
AS Roma (Italy)
FC Porto (Portugal)
Werder Bremen (Germany)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)
Juventus (Italy)

Pot 3:
Olympique de Marseille (France)
FC Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia)
FC Steaua Bucureşti (Romania)
Panathinaikos FC (Greece)
FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France)
Celtic FC (Scotland)
FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland)
Fenerbahçe SK (Turkey)

Pot 4:
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
ACF Fiorentina (Italy)
Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
CFR 1907 Cluj (Romania)
Aalborg BK (Denmark)
Anorthosis Famagusta FC (Cyprus)
FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)

Panathinaikos face their final qualifying test tonight at OAKA, as Czech club Sparta Prague pays a visit to the Greek capital. Holding a 2-1 aggregate lead heading into tonight’s deciding leg, Panathinaikos is favourite to progress to the group stage of the Champions League.

The Greek side gave a formidable performance in Prague nearly a fortnight ago, but the tie all but over. A busy week for the Greek side sees Panathinaikos prepare for a weekend derby, with a chance to reach the group stage for the first time in three seasons. Georgios Karagounis is expected to sit out this match with an ankle injury suffered during international duty last week. Nonetheless, Panathinaikos provides cover as summer-signing Cleyton is expected to get the start. Marcelo Mattos is also likely to return to the squad in the wake of Karagounis’ absence.

A key role-player in the club’s first leg success was Sotiris Ninis. Coming off his second international cap, Ninis will need to be at his best again tonight.

“We can’t rely on the first-leg result,” said Ninis.

“Sparta will be determined to spring a surprise so we have to play as if the score is still 0-0. We have to focus and perform better than we did in Prague.”

Sparta’s recent domestic result, 4-1 thrashing of SK Dynamo Ceské Budéjovice, proves the Athenian giants will be in tough against a determined Prague side. Naming an attack-filled side on the weekend, Sparta coach, Vítězslav Lavička, is expected to do the same against Panathinaikos.

A shaky opening to the first half by Panathinaikos was quickly overwritten when Štěpán Kučera turned the ball into his own net. The home side proved that they weren’t fazed by the own goal, and Sparta Prague equalized six minutes later thanks to a classy finish from Marek Kulič. The goal was just one of several chances the home side had in the first half.

In the second half, Panathinaikos turned the tide on Prague. Rather than the home team storming towards goal, Panathinaikos began to take the initiative in attack. Greek international Loukas Vyntra had an effort on goal, but Prague keeper Matúš Kozáčík pushed the effort out for a corner. On the ensuing corner, the cross from Greek starlet Sotiris Ninis was met by Mozambique international Simão who easily slotted the ball into the Prague net. Prague tried to claw their way back into the game but an effort from Jan Holenda went wide of Mario Galinovic’s goal.

Panathinaikos managed to hold on to their lead but the same task back home in Athens could be a much tougher one. Obviously the two away goals will go a long way in deciding this tie, but the Panathinaikos could expect a long night of work in two weeks time.

Sparta Prague 1-2 Panathinaikos
Kulič 30′ — Kučera (o.g.) 24′, Simão 60′

Yellow Cards:
Sparta Prague — Voríšek 47′, Kladrubský 65′, Zeman 90 + 1′, Kučera 90 + 2′
Panathinaikos — Gilberto Silva 39′, Sarriegui 75′, Ninis 83′, Nilsson 90 + 2′

Panathinaikos (Henk Ten Cate): Galinović, Gabriel, Sarriegui, Vyntra, Spiropoulos, Salpingidis (Nilsson 69′), Gilberto Silva, Tziolis (Ninis 57′), Simão, Karagounis (Ivanschitz 90′), Rodrigo Souza.

Sparta Prague (Vítezslav Lavicka): Kozáčík, Voríšek, Řepka, Kučera, Kadlec (Kolář 67′), Kušnir, Kladrubský (Zeman 84′), Hušek, Berger, Kulič (Holenda 72′), Slepička.

The lineup of matches for the 3rd Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League was confirmed last night, with 14 clubs from all around Europe booking their spot in the final qualifying round. There were some surprises in the 2nd Round, as 2007/2008 UEFA Cup finalist Rangers FC were knocked out by Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas. There was no upset in Panathinaikos’ tie with Dinamo Tibilsi; the Greek team cruised to a 3-0 aggregate victory.

The 14 second round winners are joined by 18 clubs yet to make their debut in Europe this year. Some of Europe’s biggest names will begin their European campaigns in this round.

From the Greek perspective, both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos will repay a visit to past opponents. Olympiacos, requiring to qualify for the first time in 10 years, face a rematch of their last qualification match. The Greek Champions will travel to Cyprus to face Anorthosis Famagusta, in an epic affair. Meanwhile, Panathinaikos will travel to the Czech Republic for an encounter with Sparta Prague. Their last encounter came in the second group stage of the 2001/2002 edition of the Champions League.

2005/2006 Champions League winners, FC Barcelona, face a test from Polish outfit Wisla Krakow. The tie of the round will most definitely be the Schalke – Atlético Madrid match-up. More drama will be expected at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, when FC Twente manager Steven McClaren returns to England for the first time since being sacked as England boss. Speaking of returns, Juventus will bid to return to Europe’s biggest stage when they meet Slovakian side FC Artmedia Petržalka.

New-look Liverpool faces a Belgian visit from Standard de Liège, while Fiorentina welcome Czech competition in Slavia Praha. Turkish clubs also face stiff competition; Fenerbahçe SK takes on Serbian Champions FK Partizan. Their Turkish counterparts and league winners Galatasaray will welcome FC Steaua Bucureşti. Olympique de Marseille will bid to reach the group stage once again but so will their Norwegian opponents SK Brann.

The first leg of the qualifiers is scheduled for the 12th/13th of August; with all but one being played on the latter. The return leg is scheduled for two weeks later, with the 26th/27th of August being the dates. Both Greek clubs will be on the road for their respective first legs.

Anorthosis Famagusta FC (Cyprus) v Olympiacos CFP (Greece)

Vitória SC (Portugal) v FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland)

FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) v NK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

FC Schalke 04 (Germany) v Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain)

Aalborg BK (Denmark) v FBK Kaunas (Lithuania)

FC Barcelona (Spain) v Wisła Kraków (Poland)

PFC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) v FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)

R. Standard de Liège (Belgium) v Liverpool FC (England)

FK Partizan (Serbia) v Fenerbahçe SK (Turkey)

FC Twente (Netherlands) v Arsenal FC (England)

FC Spartak Moskva (Russia) v FC Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)

Juventus (Italy) v FC Artmedia Petržalka (Slovakia)

SK Brann (Norway) v Olympique de Marseille (France)

ACF Fiorentina (Italy) v SK Slavia Praha (Czech Republic)

Galatasaray AS (Turkey) v FC Steaua Bucureşti (Romania)

Panathinaikos FC (Greece) v AC Sparta Praha (Czech Republic)

The outlook isn’t good for the Georgian side as Panathinaikos manager Henk Ten Cate has added a few more chips to the PAO puzzle. One of those pieces is big summer signing Gilberto Silva, who will make his Panathinaikos debut on Wednesday. Several of the Panathinaikos players have become vocal over the need to focus primarily on the task at hand.

“It is very important that we are competing in the Champions League. It is a challenge for all of us. We are the favorites but we must be careful at the same time,” said Marcelo Mattos.

“We are going to win the game. Of course, this is a big incentive for us as it is a Champions League match,” ensured Lazaros Christodoulopoulos.

The winner of this tie will face the winner of the Sparta Prague / Sheriff tie which will play its final leg in Prague on Wednesday.

A notable absence in the Panathinaikos squad is Austrian International Andreas Ivanschitz; while Alexandros Tziolis and Antonis Petropoulos were also left behind.

Panathinaikos roster: Galinovic, Malarz, Nilsson, Vyntra, Spyropoulos, Goumas, Siontis, Gilberto Silva, Mattos, Karagounis, Simao, Ninis, Gabriel, Rukavina, Sarieggi, Salpingidis, Mantzios, Christodoulopoulos, Cleyton.

Anorthosis leads the tie with Rapid Wien with a 3-0 scoreline, and are likely to progress to the final qualifying round. If they do in fact get past Rapid Wien, a tie with Olympiacos will be celebrated by a ten year anniversary. In the 1998/1999 edition of the UEFA Champions League — the last time Olympiacos had to qualify — Anorthosis was their opponent. In that year, Olympiacos emerged 6-3 winners over the two legs.

Panathinaikos sit comfortably on a 3-0 lead heading into their final match with Dinamo Tibilsi, and are likely to progress to the next round. Their eventual opponents aren’t as fortunate. In the tie featuring Sheriff and Sparta Prague, the latter holds a slim 1-0 lead heading into the final leg. Returning home, Sparta Prague is favourite to at least hold on to their away goal lead and progress to the 3rd Qualifying Round. In two previous meetings, Panathinaikos has beaten Sparta Prague on both occassions.

The first leg is scheduled for August 12/13, while the return leg is set for the 26/27. Winners of the 3rd Qualifying Round will enter the UEFA Champions League group stage, while the losers will find themselves in Round 1 of the UEFA Cup.

Third Qualifying Round Match-ups:

Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP) / SK Rapid Wien (AUT) vs. Olympiacos CFP (GRE)

Vitória SC (POR) vs. IFK Göteborg (SWE) / FC Basel 1893 (SUI)

FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) vs. NK Domžale (SVN) / NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)

FC Schalke 04 (GER) vs. Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)

Aalborg BK (DEN) / FK Modriča (BIH) vs. Rangers FC (SCO) / FBK Kaunas (LTU)

FC Barcelona (ESP) vs. Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) / Wisla Kraków (POL)

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) vs. RSC Anderlecht (BEL) / FC BATE Borisov (BLR)

R. Standard de Liège (BEL) vs. Liverpool FC (ENG)

FC İnter Bakı (AZE) / FK Partizan (SRB) vs. Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) / MTK Budapest (HUN)

FC Twente (NED)vs. Arsenal FC (ENG)

FC Spartak Moskva (RUS) vs. Drogheda United FC (IRL) / FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

Juventus (ITA) vs. Tampere United (FIN) / FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK)

SK Brann (NOR) / FK Ventspils (LVA) vs. Olympique de Marseille (FRA)

ACF Fiorentina (ITA) vs. SK Slavia Praha (CZE)

Galatasaray AS (TUR) vs. FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)

Panathinaikos FC (GRE) / FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. FC Sheriff (MLD) / AC Sparta Praha (CZE)