Ajax and Juventus relive old finals in Europa League

Ajax and Juventus, who have twice met in the European Cup final, clash again this evening but this time in the much less glamorous surroundings of the Europa League round of 32.

Juventus visit the Amsterdam Arena having been dispatched to Europe's secondary competition after losing 4-1 at home to Bayern Munich in their final Champions League group game when they only needed a draw to qualify.

Ajax, no longer among the big guns of European football, comfortably qualified by finishing second in Europa League Group A.

The Amsterdam team beat Juventus 1-0 in the 1973 European Cup final but the Italians gained revenge 23 years later, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Juventus are one of eight teams who are entering the fray after finishing third in their Champions League group in December and for whom the Europa League is at best a consolation and at worst an inconvenience which clutters up the fixture list.

Other Champions League drop-outs include Liverpool and Romania's Unirea Urziceni, who meet at Anfield tonight, and Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg who face Villarreal.

The Europa League is the rebranded version of the old UEFA Cup, European soccer's governing body having hoped a new look and a new name would drum up interest in a tournament which comes a poor second to the Champions League in prestige.

Many critics, however, feel one of the biggest dents to its credibility is that eight teams who have effectively failed in the premier tournament parachute into the Europa League.

Although the presence of big clubs is, on the surface, a boost it could have the opposite effect if they decide to field reserve teams and save their best for domestic leagues.

Today's first legs

15.00 kick-off: R. Kazan vs H. Tel Aviv.

19.00 kick-offs: Ajax vs Juventus; Twente vs W. Bremen; S. Liege vs Salzburg; Bruges vs Valencia; Villarreal vs Wolfsburg; Lille vs Fenerbahce.

21.05 kick-offs: A. Bilbao vs Anderlecht; A. Madrid vs Galatasaray; Liverpool vs U. Urziceni; Hamburg vs PSV; Panathinaikos vs Roma; H. Berlin vs Benfica; Copenhagen vs Marseille; Fulham vs S. Donetsk.