The first test for Celtic comes Wednesday night, when Danish side Aalborg BK travel to Scotland for matchday one of the group stage. After impressing in Celtic’s opening fixtures of the Scottish Premier League – five goals in three appearances – Samaras has not only found himself atop the Scottish leaderboards, but the Greek has managed to be a regular in Gordon Strachan’s starting eleven.
Despite success domestically, Samaras is aware of the pressures on the home side this evening. Not taking the travelling side for granted, the 23-year-old reflected on the threat AaB possesses.

“It’s our first game and it’s really important we take three points, but we know it will be very tough,” said Samaras.

“People think that, because we are playing a Danish team, it will be easy, but every club in the UEFA Champions League is a top club. We are all aware of how hard we must work to win the game. We have watched videos of Aalborg and we have to be careful against them.”
Celtic have had plenty of success on matchday one, and their formidable record at home is reason to expect another triumph for the lone Scottish representatives in this year’s Champions League.

“I really feel we’re ready for the game,” Samaras added. “Personally, I feel in great condition and I think the whole team are in really good shape, but form is not everything. I know Aalborg lost on Saturday, but I don’t think they will approach this match thinking about losing in the league. The advantage they have is that, because people speak about them being the weakest team in the group, there is no pressure on them. They can come here and play with complete freedom; we will have to be wary of that.”

The pressures of scoring could lie on the Greek who is yet to make a start in the Champions League. With Wednesday evening expected to be the curtain-raiser for Samaras in the Champions League, jitters could affect the SPL leading scorer. The Greek refuses to give an excuse for what seem to be inevitable nerves, having made it clear he has played in atmospheres quite similar to the one expected at Celtic Park come kickoff.

“Everyone knows the atmosphere at Celtic is incredible,” he said. “I’ve played at Olympiacos’ ground in Athens, in front of 70,000 people, and I think that’s the closest thing to what you feel at Celtic. Perhaps Aalborg won’t be used to that and it’s something that could play in our favour. Right now, our target is to reach the last 16 again and, to do that, it’s vital we get off to a winning start.”

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)

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)

In what was supposed to a night of redemption for the hosts, began rather nerve-racking for the side down by three after one leg. Desperate for a swing in momentum, Olympiacos found it difficult to break through the Anorthosis backline. With the visitors controlling the tempo in the opening minutes, Olympiacos saw the pressure grow as a ruckus crowd began to rally their beloved club. Responding to the atmosphere, Olympiacos began to create chances but the efforts seemed to be missing the convincing flare.

Opting to attack down the flanks, Luciano Galletti and Sebastian Leto became conductors of the Olympiacos insurgence. Weaving their way through the maze of Anorthosis defenders, the two Argentines managed to send several balls across the Anorthosis box; sadly a red-and-white shirt wasn’t around to slot the ball home.

Darko Kovačević finally made his first impression when he turned the defender, but his ensuing shot sailed high over the bar. Anorthosis nearly ended any aspirations of an Olympiacos comeback when a header from Lukasz Sosin narrowly missed Antonis Nikopolidis’ goal.

Looking more promising after the restart, Olympiacos increased the tempo by testing Anorthosis keeper, Arian Beqaj, on several occasions. Ernesto Valverde introduced Kostas Mitroglou ahead of the second half, as Dudu made way for the Greek striker. After forcing a series of corners, Olympiacos dictated the ball in the center of the Anorthosis’ third, and a bouncing ball fell for Fernando Belluschi, who struck the ball with composure to give Olympiacos its first tally. It was nearly 2-0 for the hosts when Mitroglou was left free in the box; but he was unable to beat Beqaj.  Hoping for more of the same, Olympiacos continued to attack, mounting pressure on the Anorthosis defense – which at this point had grown to ten defenders plus Beqaj.

Galletti, the culprit on many occasions this evening, fired a shot from the perimeter of the Anorthosis box; but the strong shot was sent out for only a corner. Belluschi looked keen to extend the lead and double his tally when he drove a shot from distance straight for the right corner of the goal; it proved to be a flashback of previous Olympiacos attacks, as Beqaj leaped to deflect the shot out for another corner. Olympiacos came even closer off a free-kick from substitute Predrag Djordjević, and the shot fooled everyone as it curled just wide of the right post.

As the time continued to tick away on the large scoreboard, it became clear that Olympiacos were facing an early exit from the Champions League. Not settling for defeat, Ieroklis Stoltidis managed to release a shot from the left side, but once again Beqaj held his ground to force a corner.

That effort proved to be the final decent effort Olympiacos mustered, as Herbert Fandel’s final whistle only added to the ‘Eruthroleuki’ misery.

For the first time in eleven years, Olympiacos will not be competing in the Champions League group stage; instead Anorthosis will feature in Europe’s most prestigious club competition, as the Cypriot club is the first of its kind to reach the round of 32. Olympiacos, meanwhile, will await the result of Friday’s UEFA Cup draw.

Olympiacos 1-0 Anorthosis (1-3 on aggregate)
Belluschi 54′

Yellow Cards:
Olympiacos – Dudu 23′, Galletti 37′, Leto 45′, Leonardo 84′
Anorthosis – Bardon 17′, Dobrašinović 56′

Olympiacos (Ernesto Valverde): Nikopolidis, Torosidis, Antzas (69′ Patsatzoglou), A. Papadopoulos, Leonardo, Galletti, Stoltidis, Dudu (46′ Mitroglou), Leto (63′ Djordjević), Belluschi, Kovačević.

Anorthosis Famgusta (Timur Ketsbaia): Beqaj, Constantinou, Dellas, Katsavakis, Liewakabessy, Ockokoljic, Costa, Dobrašinović, Bardon (58′ Sávio), Laban, Sosin (82′ Samaras).

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)

Pressure lies heavily on the home side ahead of the deciding leg. Promising a better showing, Ernesto Valverde has promised his club hasn’t given up their ambitions to play an eleventh consecutive season in the Champions League. “In football you always feel under pressure to win,” said the Olympiacos manager. “It comes from within. I feel we can advance if we handle the stress. We must start the match believing we can do it and we have to channel this belief in our game.”

Media in Greece has alluded to a more aggressive formation for the Greek Champions who must beat their Cypriot opponents by at least four goals to progress to the group stage.

Antonis Nikopolidis has fully recovered from a hand injury he suffered in the first-leg loss to Anorthosis, and the former-Greece international will return to guard the Olympiacos goal. In defense, Paraskevas Antzas and Avraam Papadopoulos are expected to partner-up in the centre of defense; while Vassilis Torosidis and Leonardo, will run the right and left sides respectively.

Dudu Cearense is set for his European debut with his new club. The Brazilian is expected to play alongside Ieroklis Stoltidis in a central midfield role. Pressure has been put on Valverde to include summer acquisition Sebastian Leto in the Olympiacos starting eleven, and it appears the Spaniard will do just that. After several impressive performances in recent pre-season performances, the Argentine will face his biggest task in the red-and-white since his early-August arrival. His countryman, Luciano Galletti – a fan favourite amongst the Olympiacos faithful – will man the opposite flank.

In the need to score goals, Fernando Belluschi is expected to play an attacking role behind striker Darko Kovacevic. Both players managed to hit the score sheet in last week’s friendly against Al-Hilal, and the pair will have to repeat that feat again tonight.

It seems club captain, Predrag Djordjevic, will begin the match on the sidelines but that hasn’t stopped the Serbian from realizing the task at hand. “With the help of our fans, we can get the result that will take us into the group stage,” said Djordjevic. “We must be patient and hopefully we’ll be luckier than two weeks ago in Cyprus.”

For Anorthosis, defense will be the main focus; however, the Cypriot side has the opportunity to pre-maturely end the tie if they manage to score an away goal. Temur Kestbaia opted to rest several of his starters for the club’s Super Cup tilt with rivals APOEL. Losing the game 1-0, it is clear the club has its sights set on qualifying for the group stage for the first time in the club’s ninety-seven year history. “We may have won the first game 3-0 but we have a really tough second leg ahead,” said Ketsbaia. “Obviously our lead is healthy, but we need to work even harder if we want to get to the group stage. I want those who take the field against Olympiacos to use all their strength to achieve our ultimate dream. We’re close but the game that stands in our way is very tough.”

With Cypriot pride fuelling Anorthosis’ qualifying campaign, the return leg in Piraeus is billed as “the most important match in Cypriot football history.” On top of their comfortable lead, the visitors are joyous in the wake of reports Sávio is eligible to take part in the second leg. Making his debut in the loss to APOEL, the former Real Madrid player will make his European debut with the club. Not as fortunate is Ioannis Skopelitis; having played against Olympiacos on several occasions during his spell with Egaleo FC, the former Portsmouth midfielder is forced out of the return leg with an injury suffered a fort night ago.

The atmosphere in the stadium will be a ruckus environment, as a capacity crowd is expected to take in a match that could be Olympiacos’ last Champions League appearance of the season. Added to the fact the match has taken a patriotic twist, tonight’s encounter has transformed into a Mediterranean rivalry.

More proof of the hostility between the two clubs comes in the midst of reports claiming Olympiacos supporters delayed Anorthosis’ arrival in Greece. Olympiacos supporters followed the team’s bus, and according to witnesses “harrassed” the team bus.

More violence followed, as Olympiacos supporters reportedly attacked travelling Anorthosis fans outside the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium. The severity of the incident is in question, as Anorthosis officials seem to be exaggerating the number of Olympiacos supporters on hand at the stadium — the Cypriot club is claiming there were around 1 200 OSFP supporters, while Olympiacos says only 200 were present.

Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)

Assistants: Mike Pickel (Germany), Christian Dingert (Germany)

Fourth official: Helmut Fleischer (Germany)

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.

Anorthosis qualified for the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after eliminating Armenia’s Pyunik Yerevan in the first round, and narrowly escaping against Austrian club Rapid Wien in the second round. Olympiacos, meanwhile, start their Champions League quest in this round.

The Cypriot squad bolsters many familiar faces for Greek football fans, including many who began their careers in Greece; Giannis Skopelitis and Stefanos Voskaridis. Alongside Skopelitis and Voskaridis, Anorthosis has made several talented signings this summer, including recent additions Traianos Dellas and Sávio. Dellas, a Greek international, joins the Cypriot Champions from Greek Super League club AEK Athens. The tall center back has plenty of experience playing against Olympiacos, and will be one of many tough obstacles to overcome.

For Olympiacos, Ernesto Valverde faces his first competitive game at the reigns of the Piraeus club and the pressure to succeed is high. A string of inconistent performances during the club’s off season could leave the club’s supporters worried about this game, but Olympiacos are expected to pass this Cypriot test.  Lineups have not yet been confirmed, but expect a list of the ‘Eruthroleuki’ starters by early tomorrow morning.

On the Anorthosis front — added to the fact no Cypriot club has ever made it to the group stgae of the Champions League — the game against Olympiacos has been dubbed a high stakes revenge match. The hypy ahead of the game in Cyprus is calling the game ‘a chance to get out of Greece’s shadow’; however, in Greece, this is not the case. A rivalry between the clubs, at least from the Olympiacos standpoint, is solely because of the historic tie from ten years ago — Olympiacos knocked out Anorthosis to reach the group stage of the 1998/1999 season. It seems that the game will not be a billed as a club encounter, rather a match featuring the pride of two nations.

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)