Feyenoord on brink as group stage ends

Feyenoord will be walking on a tight-rope in more ways than one when they face Wisla Krakow of Poland in their decisive UEFA Cup Group E match in Rotterdam today.

Both Feyenoord and Wisla are chasing one of the remaining 11 places still waiting to be filled in the last 32 of the competition when it moves back into a knockout format in February following the completion of the group stage this week.

Thirteen teams have already clinched their places, and with the completion of the Champions League group stage last week, the eight teams moving across from the premier competition are also known.

Feyenoord, who won the UEFA Cup with a memorable 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in 2002, were fined 125,000 euros by UEFA over crowd trouble in their last match at Nancy in France last month and have also been handed a provisional punishment of playing two home matches behind closed doors if there are any more disturbances in the next three years.

While that punishment is hanging over them, so is elimination from this season's competition.

With Nancy and Blackburn Rovers already assured of two of the three qualifying places from the group, Wisla are in third place with three points, one more than Feyenoord, who must win to advance.

There are key matches in all eight groups being played today and tomorrow, with Paris SG another troubled club looking to survive with a must-win home match against already-qualified leaders Panathinaikos in Group G.

Violence erupted at PSG's last home UEFA Cup match against Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv on November 24 when a PSG supporter, among a group of PSG fans chasing a Hapoel fan, was shot dead by a policeman.

Security and tension is bound to be high at the Parc des Princes where PSG must win to keep alive any chance of advancing. Hapoel and Mlada Boleslav of the Czech Republic meet in the other match in the group with both also hoping to progress.

German teams Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt also have no margin for error and both must win to keep alive their chances in Group B and Group H respectively.

Leverkusen are currently bottom of Group B with just one point from three matches, but they can finish third and qualify for the last 32 if they beat Besiktas at home.

Eintracht Frankfurt have just two points from three games and are bottom of Group H but they could also squeak through by making it a winning German double over Turkish sides if they triumph at Fenerbahce.

With only Newcastle already through from Group H, Palermo will be fancying their chances of being one of the other two teams to advance with them but must beat Celta Vigo to guarantee a place in the last 32.

With CSKA Moscow moving across from the Champions League, four former winners are definitely in Friday's draw for the last 32 - with Tottenham, Parma and current holders Sevilla also definitely in the hat.