Intertoto set for dramatic finale

A place in next Friday's UEFA Cup second qualifying round draw is at stake on Saturday when the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup climaxes with eleven second-leg ties.

Long trips
AJ Auxerre of France appear the side most assured of their place in the UEFA Cup, having defeated Romania's FC Farul Constanta 4-1 last week. Olympique de Marseille, one of three winners of this tournament last season before it was revamped, face an altogether trickier task as they travel to FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine following a scoreless first match. Hertha BSC Berlin are in an identical situation as they visit the Russian capital to play FC Moskva.

Villarreal in peril
Having lost 2-1 at home to NK Maribor, Villarreal CF must score at least twice in Slovenia and win to maintain their fine recent record in European competition. England's Newcastle United FC, bereft of their leading forwards following the retirement of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen's freak injury at the FIFA World Cup, will look to Albert Luque to find the net in Norway after the Spanish international struck a magnificent equaliser to deny Lillestrøm SK victory at St. James' Park last Saturday.

Achnas hopeful
Scandinavian challengers Odense BK and Kalmar FF defend 1-0 leads at Hibernian FC and FC Twente, while Grasshopper-Club beat KAA Gent 2-1 and SV Ried overcame FC Tiraspol 3-1 at home in their first legs. Turkey's Kayserispor should have an advantage against Larissa FC following a goalless draw in Greece, while Ethnikos Achnas FC of Cyprus cannot wait to tackle Maccabi Petach-Tikva FC again following a surprise 2-0 success in Israel.