Following Liverpool's lead

UEFA Champions League newcomers Myllykosken Pallo-47 and five-times European champions Liverpool FC do not have much in common, but what they do share could play an influential role in the Finnish side's first foray into the UEFA Champions League this evening. Like Liverpool last season, MyPa kick off their qualification campaign against Welsh champions TNS (The New Saints FC), and they will be calling on an old friend for advice.

Hyypiä advice
Full-back Toni Huttunen has spent his entire career with MyPa since breaking into the side in 1992 and this term played his 350th match for the club. He is the only player still at MyPa who lined up alongside Sami Hyypiä before the defender's move to Liverpool. The pair have known each other since childhood and still keep in touch. This week Huttunen, 33, had a couple of special questions for his pal.

'Extra special'
"I know next to nothing about TNS," Huttunen told uefa.com. "They won the Welsh league comfortably and played against Liverpool last season in Champions League qualification. I should really call Sami and ask what kind of team TNS are. It's always a special thing to start your European campaign. We've been in Europe almost every season, but the first time in Champions League qualifying makes it extra special."

Small town
Liverpool embarked on their qualification bid last July as champions of Europe. For MyPa the experience is entirely new, having won the Finnish title for the first time in 2005. MyPa are based in the small town of Anjalankoski in south-east Finland, which boasts a population of just 17,000. Their stadium is in the Myllykoski district which grew up around the local paper mill, Myllykoski Paper, also the club's main sponsor.

'Same goal'
MyPa have been regular UEFA Cup participants and coach Ilkka Mäkelä expects that experience to tell over two legs against TNS. "We have the same goal as last season: to reach the third qualifying round. Last summer we made it to the first round proper of the UEFA Cup. This time I imagine the challenge of the Champions League will be at least as tough. After several years in the UEFA Cup, it's a new test for everyone."

'Good teams'
Mäkelä added: "For the players it's not that different, though. They will prepare for the Champions League in the same manner as any other match. I don't see that much difference. For example, last season we played Grasshopper-Club in the UEFA Cup first round, while now we will face FC København if we reach the second qualifying round. Both are good teams and there isn't that big a difference between them."

'Typical British football'
First, though, come TNS whom Mäkelä saw playing Glentoran FC in a friendly last weekend. "They played pretty much as expected - typical British football," he said. "I believe we have every chance of beating them, but we have to play on own our level. We are concentrating fully on TNS and not thinking about Köbenhavn or any other team we might face in the next rounds. You have to take it one step at a time, or there could be no next step."