Allbäck planning Zürich raid

UEFA Intertoto Cup 'holders' Aston Villa FC and ES Troyes Aube Champagne could both see their defences ended on Saturday as they face tough tests on a day when all 12 third-round ties are completed.

Allbäck debut
Villa lost 2-0 away at FC Zürich last week, and will give Swedish FIFA World Cup player Marcus Allbäck his debut in an attempt to overturn the deficit, although fellow striker Juan Pablo Angel is again ruled out through injury. 

Level tie
Troyes are in a better position as they prepare to host NAC Breda after drawing 1-1 in the Netherlands last week, although Saturday's visitors put themselves back in the tie 77 minutes into the first leg when Arne Slot equalised Frédéric Danjou's opening goal for the French team.

Close affairs
Only two other first-leg ties saw the sides separated by less than a pair of goals, and in both cases last week's victors must travel in the return. German side 1. FC Kaiserslautern beat FK Teplice at home, but the Czechs pulled the score back to 2-1 with a Pavel Horváth penalty to give themselves every chance in their home leg. Meanwhile, FA Premiership team Fulham FC must hope their 1-0 win in London will be sufficient to help them past Greek club Egaleo FC.

Stuttgart advantage
Former 'winners' VfB Stuttgart travel to Italy's AC Perugia after the German club's 3-1 victory in the first match gave them the advantage in a tie in which they initially went behind before their three-goal recovery. Two Serie A teams will be defending two-goal leads on their travels, with Torino Calcio visiting Spain's Villarreal CF, and Bologna FC holding a similar 2-0 advantage as they go to FC BATE Borisov of Belarus.

Tough tasks
Dutch contenders Willem II must come from 3-1 down when they host Russian Premier-Liga side FC Krylya Sovetov Samara, while facing an even tougher task are Belgium's KAA Gent, who entertain Spanish outfit Málaga CF having lost 3-0 to the Primera División side in the first leg.

Home cushions
French challengers Lille OSC, UEFA Champions League participants last season, and FC Sochaux-Montbéliard should prove too strong at home for CF Gloria Bistrita 1922 and 1. FC Synot repsectively, while NK Slaven Belupo are 3-0 up from the first leg ahead of their meeting with Bulgarian side PFC Marek in Croatia.