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Roma eye Euro success

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 30/07/2009

The first ever Europa League campaign has reached its third qualifying round stage with several big-name teams entering the fray.

Rosenborg, Champions League regulars until recently, have already been eliminated from the competition having being knocked out by Azerbaijan's FK Qarabag and the likes of AS Roma, Hamburg, Aberdeen, Fenerbahce and Steaua Bucharest will be keen not to suffer similar ignominy.

Roma, the online favourites to win the competition, face Belgian side Gent despite taking part in some great Champions League nights in the last few years.

They have been beaten by Manchester United and Arsenal in the last two seasons but could only limp to sixth in Serie A last term, a massive 21 points adrift of champions Internazionale.

Luciano Spalletti still has a host of big names to call on including Cicinho, Philippe Mexes and captain Francesco Totti which should be more than enough to see them get past Gent.

The Belgian side have been in the Jupiler League for the last two decades but have struggled on the European stage.

They were knocked out at the second qualifying round stage last term and only edged past Belarusian side Naftan Novopolotsk on away goals earlier this month to set up the Roma game.

Gent qualified for European competition after finishing fourth in the Jupiler League last term behind champions Standard Liege, Anderlecht and Club Brugge.

Can AS Roma live up their billing as the favourites to win this season's UEFA Europa League? - Latest Football Betting

Another interesting encounter sees Brondby take on Legia Warsaw. Brondby dominated Danish football in the 1990s but their star has waned recently and they have failed to clinch the Superliga title since 2006.

The 1986-87 European Cup quarter-finalists endured a slump after Michael Laudrup left the club three years ago since when they have lurched from one crisis to the next.

However, after finishing eighth in 2007-08 they started to show some improvement last term and qualified for the second qualifying round of the Europa League by securing third spot.

They reached this stage by beating Flora Tallinn 4-2 on aggregate despite losing the first leg at home 1-0.

Polish side Legia Warsaw have also fallen on hard times recently although they do have a chequered European history.

They reached the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1970 and the last four of the Cup Winners' Cup 21 years later, losing to eventual winners Manchester United.

The last time they came through the qualifying rounds of the Champions League they reached the quarter-finals in 1995-96, before losing to Panathinaikos.

Champions League regulars PSV Eindhoven have to take part in the Europa League after enduring a difficult 2008-09 campaign when they failed to qualify from the group stage of Europe's premier competition for the first time since 2002 and didn't lift a fifth successive Eredivisie title.

The 1988 European Cup winners face Bulgarian outfit Cherno More Varna who finished third in their domestic league last term.

It is their third successive foray into Europe and they reached this stage by seeing off Moldovan side Iskra-Stal in the second qualifying round.

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