Big guns take centre stage

The Intertoto Cup reaches a decisive stage this weekend when some of Europe's top teams enter the competition all vying for a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.

The third and final round sees eight more teams enter the tournament, representing the most powerful football associations in Europe, and guaranteeing tough fixtures for the clubs who have battled to get this far.

Danish side OB Odense can have no doubt of the severity of the task that faces them as they host English side Aston Villa this weekend, while Israel's Bnei Sakhnin have one-time UEFA Champions League group regulars Deportivo La Coruna to contend with.

Greece's Panionios host Serie A side Napoli while Russia's Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast will take on 2007 Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart.

NAC Breda, another side kicking off their campaign in the third round, must hit the ground running if they are to eliminate European veterans Rosenborg, while Ukraine's SC Tavriya Simferopol travel to Stade Rennes as they look to mark their 50th anniversary year with a run to the UEFA Cup.

Honved have a shorter journey as they cross the border into Austria to take on Sturm Graz, but Portugal's SC Braga will be racking up the air miles as they visit Turkey's Sivasspor.

Third round, first legs

Playing today: Bnei Sakhnin vs Deportivo La Coruna; Grasshoppers vs Chernomorets Burgas; Neftci vs Vaslui; Stade Rennes vs Tavriya; Sturm Graz vs Honved; OB Odense vs Aston Villa; Elfsborg vs FK Riga; NAC Breda vs Rosenborg; Saturn vs Stuttgart.

Tomorrow: Panionios vs Napoli; Sivasspor vs Braga.