Contenders set sights on UEFA Cup progress

European hopes will be on the line on Matchday 4 this week as the sides targeting UEFA Cup honours aim to join AC Milan, Manchester City FC, AS Saint-Etienne and PFC CSKA Moskva in the knockout phase. With two rounds of fixtures remaining there is still something to aim at for all but two of the other 36 contenders, as uefa.com now explains in this look at the state of play. Click on the group names for the current standings or see all the tables here.

Group A
A 2-0 win at FC Schalke 04 took City top and booked their Round of 32 berth thanks to Paris Saint-Germain FC's 2-2 draw with Real Racing Club. City are on six points, two clear of Schalke with a game in hand, while FC Twente (three points), Racing (two) and then PSG (one) all remain in touch. A win for Schalke at Twente on Wednesday would take them through, while PSG will aim to pick up points in Manchester.

Group B
FC Metalist Kharkiv's dramatic 1-0 win at Galatasaray AŞ has thrown the pool open. Galatasaray are still top but Metalist are within two points with a game in hand. Olympiacos CFP got off the mark with a 5-1 defeat of SL Benfica, who are now bottom, a point behind Hertha BSC Berlin. Nothing is yet definitely decided but Galatasaray need only a point at Hertha on Wednesday, while Metalist would qualify by beating Olympiacos.

Group C
R. Standard de Liège are two points clear of UC Sampdoria and VfB Stuttgart after that pair drew 1-1 and the Belgian side won 1-0 at FK Partizan, whose hopes of progress are now gone. Sevilla are a further point behind and of the top four only Stuttgart have played three games and sit out Wednesday's matches, when Standard play Sampdoria with both teams knowing victory could take them through depending on Sevilla's result against Partizan.

Group D
Tottenham Hotspur FC joined Udinese Calcio on six points by winning 1-0 at NEC Nijmegen last time out, though the Italian side have a game in hand. FC Spartak Moskva and NK Dinamo Zagreb are both on three after the Russian side prevailed 1-0 in Croatia. Udinese need a point at home against Dinamo on Wednesday to progress, and if the Croatian side fail to win, Spartak would go through by beating NEC. Tottenham would also advance if both NEC and Dinamo miss out on victory.

Group E
Milan scored twice late on at Portsmouth FC to earn a 2-2 draw and VfL Wolfsburg's dramatic 3-2 win at SC Braga in the late game ensured the seven-time European champions went through. Wolfsburg, with six points from two games, are one behind the Rossoneri with a game in hand and three clear of Braga. Portsmouth are a further two points adrift, while SC Heerenveen are still in contention despite not yet getting off the mark. Wolfsburg would go through with a draw against Portsmouth on Thursday, and if the German side avoid defeat Braga would join them with victory at Heerenveen.

Group F
Aston Villa FC were not in action last week but remain top thanks to their two victories. They lead AFC Ajax on goal difference after the Dutch side won 1-0 at Hamburger SV to open up a three-point lead on the German side. The Amsterdam outfit have, however, played a game more than their two fellow former European champions, while MSK Žilina and SK Slavia Praha picked up their first points with a 0-0 draw. Villa only need a point at home to Žilina on Thursday to progress and if the Birmingham side win, Hamburg would also qualify with victory at Slavia.

Group G
St-Etienne's first UEFA Cup campaign since 1982/83 will continue after Christmas thanks to their 1-1 draw at Club Brugge KV, their seven-point tally enough to keep all but two of their rivals at bay. Valencia CF are within three points of the French side after an emphatic 4-0 win at Rosenborg BK, who, like FC København, are one adrift of Club Brugge (two points). Valencia would also progress by beating the Belgian side on Thursday, when Rosenborg must defeat København to maintain their mathematic hopes. Victory for the Norwegian outfit would take Club Brugge through if they can likewise win in Spain.

Group H
CSKA are aiming to reclaim the trophy they won in 2005 and moved a step closer after their 2-1 win against KKS Lech Poznań left them as the only club on nine points and ensured, at worst, a top-two finish. In contrast, 2002 winners Feyenoord are out after their 3-0 loss at RC Deportivo La Coruña left them without a point from three games. AS Nancy-Lorraine boast four points, one more than Deportivo and three more than Lech, and victory for the French side against CSKA on Thursday would book their progress. Similarly, Deportivo would move into the last 32 with a win in Poznan.

UEFA Champions League
The eight third-placed teams in the UEFA Champions League groups will join this competition and play the runners-up in the UEFA Cup sections. Already confirmed in that position are FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Aalborg BK and UEFA Cup holders FC Zenit St. Petersburg.