Struggling sides hit stride

Group H's bottom sides, AEK Athens FC and TSV Alemannia Aachen, warmed up for this week's UEFA Cup games with morale-boosting victories at the weekend. uefa.com rounds up the latest ahead of Matchday 4.

Sevilla
Sevilla FC's inconsistent season continued on Sunday when they were soundly beaten at CA Osasuna in a match they finished with ten men. After Iñaki Muñoz had put the home side ahead, Carlitos ensured the scores were level at the interval with his first goal of the campaign. Osasuna then struck three second-half goals, while Javi Navarro was sent off as Sevilla slipped to fifth in the table.

AEK
AEK went top of the Alpha Ethniki after a 1-0 home success against Halkidona FC. Alessandro Soares scored the only goal, his seventh in the league, as the side bereft of Christos Kontis (biceps) and Ivan Rusev (knee) maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign. AEK must win at Sevilla on Thursday, but will have to do so without suspended centre-half Bruno Alves. Evangelos Moras is the likely replacement.

Aachen
Aachen came from a goal down to record an emphatic 5-1 victory against TSV 1860 München in the 2. Bundesliga. Simon Rolfes, Alexander Klitzpera and Erik Meijer were all on target before the break, and Kai Michalke and Thomas Stehle sealed a comfortable win with two more in the second half. Florian Bruns missed out with a knee injury.

Zenit
FC Zenit St. Peterburg will travel to Germany without Kamil Contofalský after the goalkeeper joined the Slovakia squad for an international tournament in Thailand. Defender Martin Škrtel also received a call-up but was unavailable as he is unfit. Playmaker Vladislav Radimov has been struggling with a knock sustained in the 1-1 draw against Sevilla last Thursday but is expected to return for the Russian team's final Group H fixture.

Lille
LOSC Lille Métropole, who sit out Matchday 4, fell five points behind Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Lyonnais as they were held to a third consecutive 1-1 draw, at home to RC Strasbourg. It could have been worse for the Group H leaders who were behind for much of the game until Peter Odemwingie, ineligible for the UEFA Cup after starting the season with RAA Louviéroise, levelled five minutes from time. Lille have no injury concerns ahead of the visit of Sevilla on 15 December.