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Pompey paired with favourites Milan in Uefa Cup

07/10/2008

An intriguing draw for the group stages of the Uefa Cup has seen Premier League side Portsmouth paired with favourites AC Milan.

Harry Redknapp's side also face Heerenveen of the Netherlands, SC Braga of Portugal and German side Wolfsburg.

The draw was made at Uefa headquarters in Nyon today, and saw the other three English clubs handed equally difficult groups.

Manchester City have what looks to be a testing section, with matches to come against sides from the other leading European countries including Germany's Schalke 04, French giants Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Racing Santander.

City boss Mark Hughes will also come up against former England manager Steve McClaren, who is now in charge of Dutch club FC Twente.

Tottenham Hotspur, who went into the pot among the top seeds, have been handed some potentially tricky opponents in the shape of Spartak Moscow of Russia and Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia.

Spurs, who are winless in seven matches in the Premier League so far this season, also come up against Italian side Udinese and another Dutch club, NEC Nijmegen.

The other remaining English side, Aston Villa, have arguably the easiest draw of the four Premier League clubs.

However, up against Martin O'Neill's side are former Spurs manager Martin Jol's German league leaders Hamburger SV, Dutch giants Ajax, Czech club Slavia Prague and Slovakian outfit MSK Zilina.

Of the other sections, groups B and C look to be among the toughest.

Portuguese side Benfica have been drawn alongside Olympiacos of Greece, Galatasaray of Turkey, Germany's Hertha Berlin and Ukraine's Metalist Kharkiv.

And in group C, two-time former winners Sevilla of Spain face Germany's VfB Stuttgart, Italian outfit Sampdoria, Partizan Belgrade of Serbia and the impressive Belgians Standard Liege, who knocked out Everton in the last round.

Full group draw for 2008/09 Uefa Cup:

Group A

Schalke 04 (GER)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
MANCHESTER CITY (ENG)
Racing Santander (SPA)
FC Twente (NED)

Group B

Benfica (POR)
Olympiacos (GRE)
Galatasaray (TUR)
Hertha Berlin (GER)
Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)

Group C

Sevilla (ESP)
VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Sampdoria (ITA)
Partizan Belgrade (SRB)
Standard Liege (BEL)

Group DTOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (ENG)
Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Udinese (ITA)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
NEC Nijmegen (NED)

Group E

AC Milan (ITA)
Heerenveen (NED)
SC Braga (POR)
PORTSMOUTH (ENG)
Wolfsburg (GER)

Group F

Hamburger SV (GER)
Ajax (NED)
Slavia Prague (CZE)
ASTON VILLA (ENG)
MSK Zilina (SVK)

Group G

Valencia (ESP)
Club Bruges (BEL)
Rosenborg (NOR)
FC Copenhagan (DEN)
Saint-Etienne (FRA)

Group H

CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Deportivo La Coruna (ESP)
Feyenoord (NED)
AS Nancy (FRA)
Lech Poznan (POL)