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Partizan face Swedish threat

FK Partizan's game against Djurgårdens IF is one of 14 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round ties.

FK Partizan coach Lothar Matthäus believes his side will have to be at their peak to overcome Swedish champions Djurgårdens IF in one of tonight's 14 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first-leg ties.

Djurgården 'dangerous'
Matthäus led Partizan to the Serbo-Montenegrin title last season, and they welcome Djurgården to Belgrade aiming to progress to a third qualifying round tie against England's Newcastle United FC. "If we do not manage to establish a winning mentality in our squad now, we will not get far in European competition," Matthäus said. "Djurgården have dangerous players and a quality team."

Stefanidis injured
Serbo-Montenegrin Under-21 international striker Andrija Delibasic is Partizan's main injury doubt, while the visitors are without forward Babis Stefanidis due to a groin complaint. However, the Swedish side's assistant coach Zoran Lukic - himself from Belgrade - is pinning his hopes on team spirit.

Fans' support
"The biggest difference between Djurgården and Partizan is that they have more individually skilful players, whereas we are a better group and work harder towards a common goal," he told the club's official website. "Partizan have technical players with character and will have 10,000 fans behind them at their ground."

Tie overshadowed
Last season's UEFA Cup finalists Celtic FC visit Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas, but the match has been overshadowed by the death of home striker Audrius Slekys in a car accident on Sunday. There will be a minute's silence and both sides will wear black armbands as a mark of respect. Kaunas spokesman Algirdas Vaitkevicius said: "We will play it for Audrius and try to win it for him."

Dedication to striker
Celtic, who beat Kaunas's compatriots FK Suduva 10-1 on aggregate in last season's UEFA Cup, will be without the suspended Dianbobo Balde and injured duo John Hartson and Steve Guppy. The winners of the tie will play MTK Hungária FC or HJK Helsinki.

Kompany debut
Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht are set to give 17-year-old defender Vincent Kompany a debut at AFC Rapid Bucuresti. Kompany replaces captain Glen De Boeck, who underwent knee surgery in May. Rapid have eight players aged under 23 in their likely starting lineup and coach Mircea Rednic, a former R. Standard de Liège player, said Anderlecht had an "80 per cent chance" of progressing to a tie against either Wisla Kraków or Omonia AC.

UEFA Champions League second qualifying round
First-leg matches: 30 July 2003
Second-leg matches: 6 August 2003
MTK Hungária FC (HUN) v HJK Helsinki (FIN)
FC Pyunik (ARM) v PFC CSKA Sofia (BUL)
FBK Kaunas (LIT) v Celtic FC (SCO)
FK Leotar (BHZ) v SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
FC Sheriff (MOL) v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
MŠK Žilina (SVK) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
Bohemian FC (IRL) v Rosenborg BK (NOR)
NK Maribor (SLO) v NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS) v FK Vardar (MKD)
AFC Rapid Bucuresti (ROM) v RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
FK Partizan (YUG) v Djurgårdens IF (SWE)
Wisla Kraków (POL) v Omonia AC (CYP)
FC København (DEN) v Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT)
KF Tirana (ALB) v Grazer AK (AUT)

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