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Bajević braced for Bayern and Belgrade

Aris Thessaloniki FC coach Dušan Bajević is ready for two huge UEFA Cup tests after being drawn against "the best side in the competition" and his former club.

Nicolas Anelka (centre) believes Bolton will progress
Nicolas Anelka (centre) believes Bolton will progress ©Getty Images

The Aris Thessaloniki FC coach Dušan Bajević is bracing himself for two huge UEFA Cup tests after being drawn against FC Bayern München – "the best side in the competition" – and the club that sacked him in March, FK Crvena Zvezda.

'Beautiful football'
The 58-year-old Serbian signed a one-year contract with Aris in early September, with the option to extend until 2010, and promptly guided the Greek team to a UEFA Cup first-round success against Real Zaragoza. Bajević has promised the Aris faithful "beautiful football that they can be proud of" but pragmatism may be the order of the day in Group F, a section completed by England's Bolton Wanderers FC and SC Braga of Portugal.

Vital opener
He said: "Bayern are the best side in the competition and will top our group. We have nothing to lose and we will give it our best shot – I believe we have a fair chance of qualifying. It's important to record a victory in our first home game against Crvena Zvezda in order to lift spirits ahead of our trip to Bolton. We need at least two victories to qualify and won't feel the pressure we had against Zaragoza. I believe in my players' abilities."

Anelka target
A former Yugoslavian international, Bajević knows all Crvena Zvezda, where he took up the coaching reins in May 2006, as well as Bolton midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos having coached the Greece midfielder at Olympiacos CFP between 1996 and 1999. Giannakopoulos's club-mate Nicolas Anelka deems victory against Bajević's men vital to Bolton's chances of reaching the knockout rounds. "It is a fantastic draw for the club," said the France forward. "We should be capable of beating Braga and Aris at home and it will be all on us to get a point from one of our two matches away in Munich and Belgrade."

Klose confident
The Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld also spoke of "a tough group" following today's proceedings in Nyon, while in-form striker Miroslav Klose said: "If we go into every game fully concentrated then we'll progress no matter what." Braga may be outsiders in the group, but coach Jorge Costa accepts that. The former FC Porto stalwart said: "We like to play big matches, because in the end everyone in the team can take something from them. We'll enjoy this opportunity. I don't know if six points will be enough to get us through to the next stage but seven should do."

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