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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Big hitters ready to join the fray

/noticias.info/ The second legs of the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round ties will be played this Tuesday and Wednesday with a number of Europe's top sides watching with interest to see who they will meet in the next round.

High-profile ties
Last season's UEFA Cup finalists Rangers FC, group stage regulars FC Dynamo Kyiv and former European Champion Clubs' Cup finalists Panathinaikos FC are just some of the high-profile sides lying in wait. With the draw for the second qualifying round having already taken place, they will be eager to learn who their opponents will be on 29/30 July and 5/6 August.

Big test
Rangers look likely to play Lithuania's FBK Kaunas who hold a commanding 4-1 lead against Andorra's FC Santa Coloma, Dynamo will face either Drogheda United FC or FC Levadia Tallinn with the tie poised 2-1 in Drogheda's favour before the second leg in the Estonian capital, while Panathinaikos are expected to meet FC Dinamo Tbilisi following the Georgian side's 3-0 home win against Faroese contenders NSÍ Runavík.

Fenerbahçe start
FC Sheriff will be looking to claw back a 1-0 deficit at home to FK Aktobe with AC Sparta Praha awaiting the winners, while two-time UEFA Cup winners IFK Göteborg are on course for a showdown with Swiss champions FC Basel 1893 after defeating San Marino's S.S. Murata 5-0 last Tuesday. The make up of two second qualifying round ties is already known, with Fenerbahçe SK, who reached the quarter-finals last season, meeting Hungarian champions MTK Budapest, and Beitar Jerusalem FC facing Wisła Kraków.

Rome final
The second qualifying round winners advance to the third qualifying round, where they will be joined by another 18 teams, with the draw taking place on 1 August. The 32 clubs involved will then compete in 16 ties over two legs for the right to follow the 16 automatic qualifiers into the group stage which begins on 16 September. The final will be played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on 27 May 2009.

2008/09 UEFA Champions League
First qualifying round first-leg results
(Second leg to be played on Tuesday - marked with a * - and Wednesday)
Match First-leg result
1 Linfield FC (NIR) 0-2 NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
2 Valetta FC (MLT) 0-2 FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK)
3* FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) 3-0 NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
4* FC Santa Coloma (AND) 1-4 FBK Kaunus (LTU)
5 S.S. Murata (SMR) 0-5 IFK Göteborg (SWE)
6* Llanelli AFC (WAL) 1-0 FK Ventspils (LVA)
7 Anorthosis Famugusta (CYP) 1-0 FC Pyunik (ARM)
8* FK İnter Bakı (AZE) 0-0 FK Rabotnicki (MKD)
9 Tampere United (FIN) 2-1 FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
10 F91 Dudelange (LUX) 0-1 NK Domžale (SVN)
11 KS Dinamo Tirana (ALB) 0-2 FK Modriča (BIH)
12* FK Aktobe (KAZ) 1-0 FC Sheriff (MDA)
13 Drogheda United FC (IRL) 2-1 FC Levadia Tallinn (EST)
14 FC BATE Borisov (BLR) 2-0 Valur Reykjavík (ISL)
2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Second qualifying round draw
First leg: 29/30 July
Second leg: 5/6 August
Rangers FC (SCO) v Winners Match 4
SK Brann (NOR) v Winners Match 6
Winners Match 8 v FK Partizan (SRB)
Winners Match 9 v Winners Match 2
Winners Match 7 v SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
Winners Match 10 v Winners Match 1
Panathinaikos FC (GRE) v Winners Match 3
Winners Match 5 v FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
Winners Match 12 v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Winners Match 13 v FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL) v Winners Match 14
Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) v Wisla Kraków (POL)
Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) v MTK Budapest (HUN)
Aalborg BK (DEN) v Winners Match 11 notas_de_prensa_archivo