The four English clubs left in the UEFA Cup have now progressed to the group phase of the competition with high hopes of reaching the knockout stages.
The format has remained the same but the tournament will be restructured from next season. As things stand, teams are in groups of five and will play two opponents at home and the other two away, with the opening fixture to be played this evening. Three teams from each group qualify for the KO round. The final will be played in Istanbul on May 20.
Aston Villa, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Tottenham are looking forward to the group matches as they will be crossing swords with some of Europe's most famous clubs.
Group A
Manchester City are not in action today. Former England manager Steve McClaren will return to English shores for the second time this season after his new Dutch team FC Twente were knocked out by Arsenal 6-0 on aggregate (0-2 at home and 0-4 away) in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Twente Enschede met City in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1978-79, with the Blues winning 4-3 on aggregate.
City are considered as one of the group's favourites after spending heavily in the transfer market. They did the double over Cypriots Omonia Nicosia (home 2-1 Elano, Wright-Phillips; away 2-1 Jo 2) in the first round proper.
In the previous two qualifying rounds, the Citizens saw off Denmark's Midtylland 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw, and EB Streymur, of the Faroe Islands, 4-0 over two legs (home 2-0, away 2-0).
Man. City's fixtures: November 6: Home vs FC Twente; November 27: Away vs Schalke 04; December 3: Home vs PSG; December 17: Away vs Racing Santander.
Group D
Struggling Tottenham, having shocked the world of football with their pathetic showings in the Premier League, are hoping that the UEFA Cup will serve as a platform for a return to winning form.
In the first round, the Spurs eliminated Polish side Wisla Krakow: 2-1 (home Bentley, Bent) and 1-1 (away Glowacki og) for a 3-2 aggregate win.
Two of the London club's stalwarts will make acquaintance with former teams − Croatian midfielder Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb) and Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko (Spartak Moscow).
While Udinese have never played an English club in European competitions, Tottenham's only Italian connection had been with Milan whom they had met in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1971-72. Spurs went on to reach the final 3-2 on aggregate − home 2-1, away 1-1.
Tottenham's fixtures: Today: Away vs Udinese; November 6: Home vs Din. Zagreb; November 27: Away vs NEC Nijmegen; December 18: Home vs Spartak Moscow.
Group E
In their debut season in Europe, Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth have done well so far. In the first round, they toppled Guimaraes, of Portugal, 4-2 on aggregate: home 2-0 (Diarra, Defoe); away 2-2 after extra-time (Crouch 2).
The Pompey fans are relishing the visit of seven-times European champions Milan to their jam-packed Fratton Park. Those loyal supporters will raise the roof next month and the players will leave no stone unturned in their bid to beat the Italians.
A present link between the two clubs is Peter Crouch, who played for Liverpool in both finals against Milan in 2005 and 2007. There is also the Mark Hateley connection as the former England forward had left Portsmouth to play for the Rossoneri from 1984 to 1987, scoring 17 goals in 66 appearances.
Tonight, the south-coast club will return to Portugal to play Braga, neighbours of Guimaraes, the club Portsmouth beat in the first round.
Last season, the side from the Estadio Municipal de Braga met Bolton at the Reebok Stadium in another UEFA Cup group match which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Portsmouth's fixtures: Today: Away vs SC Braga; November 27: Home vs Milan; December 4: Away vs Wolfsburg; December 18: Home vs Heerenveen.
Group F
Around Christmas time, Martin Jol, the former Tottenham manager, will return to England as his German team Hamburg must play Aston Villa.
Villa had a long path to the UEFA Cup group phase. They ousted Danes Odense BK (3-2 on aggregate) in the third round of the Intertoto Cup, saw off Icelandic side FH Hafnarfjordur (5-2) in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, and beat Bulgaria's Litex Lovech (4-2 on aggregate).
Today's match against Ajax will be the first meeting between the Villans and the illustrious Dutch side. Villa will also come up against a Dutch team for the first time in their history. Yet, on English soil, Ajax lost only three times in nine matches:
1966-67 (European Cup 2nd round) vs Liverpool 2-2.
1969-70 (Fairs Cup SF) vs Arsenal 0-3.
1971-72 (European Cup QF) vs Arsenal 1-0.
1974-75 (UEFA Cup 1st round) vs Stoke 1-1.
1976-77 (UEFA Cup, 1st round) vs Man. United 0-2.
1979-80 (European Cup semi-final) vs N. Forest 1-0.
1981-82 (Cup Winners Cup first round) vs Tottenham 0-3.
2002-03 (Champions League group match) vs Arsenal 0-0.
2005-06 (Champions League group match) vs Arsenal 1-2.
Aston Villa's fixtures:
Today: Home vs Ajax;
November 6: Away vs Slavia Prague;
December 4: Home vs MSK Zilina;
December 17: Away vs Hamburg.