Aston Villa FC

Our reward for beating Litex has been one of the tougher groups, MSK Zilina, Slavia Prague, former European Cup winners Hamburg and one of only three teams to complete the clean sweep of European trophies, Ajax.

When I originally saw the draw, I was hopeful of a little trip to Amsterdam to delight in some of their earthlier pleasures but after an excrutiating wait for the fixtures to be released, our 'Dam dream was over (the bong's gone back in it's box, waiting patiently to see active duty again, while I'm left wondering when I'm ever gonna get that copy of Das Butt) Instead the Stag destination of choice and Hamburg's Reeperbahn are on the Uefa horizon.

While Zilina may be one of Slovakia's most successful clubs, I'm not really sure what kind of gauge that is. They will probably be good technically but I’d imagine we'll be too strong for them at home. And if we're not then we'd certainly struggle against the other, stronger sides. Slavia Prague while not being the more impressive Sparta, do have a decent recent history, playing in the Champs League last season and while no-one likes to travel to the east, I'd be expecting at least a draw from this.

Hamburg could prove to be a difficult task. The AOL Arena may sound like some nerds box-bedroom but this will certainly be the toughest test of the group stages. And despite being managed by Super Intendant Chalmers (who, with hindsight, might actually be a better manager than Ramos) and selling their prized asset in the summer (Rafael Van Der Vaart), they are top of the Bundesliga at present and boast a decent squad list. A point here would almost certainly guarentee knock-out games.

Like maany of the big-namesh in dhis cjup, Ajax seeem to be on the way down and I hjope we'll do dem. I know they've got the peedigree but with only one world classh player, I feel they're exsperience in big competishions will be no matsh for our yjouthful exuberance (what’s the betting we get stuffed?).