By David Hein<o
></o>
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer<o></o>
<o></o>
Don't be surprised if Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder doesn't put out his top lineup for the British side's Thursday UEFA Cup tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. <o></o>
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For one reason, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Newcastle</st1lace></st1:city> has already clinched first place in Group H and with it qualified for the 32-team knockout stage. <o></o>
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For another, the players can use the rest as United is dangerously close to the bottom of the Premiership -- its home victory against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1lace></st1:city> moved it just three points clear of the relegation zone.<o></o>
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Oh, and many of Roeder's top guns are out. <o></o>
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Over the past week, winger Damien Duff and Craig Moore were both declared out for the next month. Celestine Babayaro and Stephen Carr both missed the <st1:city w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1:city> game and could miss the <st1lace w:st="on">Frankfurt</st1lace> encounter.<o></o>
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Add that quartet to strikers Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi, who are both out for the season, and goalkeeper Steve Harper -- on the sidelines after minor groin surgery -- and Roeder just hopes his team returns from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Germany</st1lace></st1:country-region> in full health. <o></o>
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Those factors put together as well as the fact that Frankfurt needs a victory to stay in contention for the knockout stage make <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Newcastle</st1lace></st1:city> a +333 WagerWeb underdog. <o></o>
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Staying in Group H, Turkish club Fenerbahce travels to Celta Vigo on the heels of an important victory over <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Palermo</st1lace></st1:city> last week, which puts it in second place with three points from two games -- two points more than Celta.<o></o>
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"We played one of our best games of the season so far," Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman said after the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Palermo</st1lace></st1:city> win. "I am proud to have beaten one of the in-form teams in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Italy</st1lace></st1:country-region>. Now the path is open for us in the group. We will get at least a point at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vigo</st1:city></st1lace>, then defeat Eintracht Frankfurt at home."<o></o>
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Fenerbahce is also a +333 underdog, with Viga getting -138 odds for a home victory.<o></o>
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Another group leader in action this week is Spanish outfit Espanyol, which travels to Dutch giant Ajax Amsterdam with two victories in two games in Group F.<o></o>
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Ernesto Valverde's Spaniards thrashed Zulte Waregem 6-2 and are banking on the UEFA Cup this season after dropping to the lower ranks of the Primera Division in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Spain</st1lace></st1:country-region>. <o></o>
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Espanyol's hopes in the UEFA Cup were helped when <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Ajax</st1lace></st1:city> could only gain a draw at Sparta Prague.<o></o>
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"It was an important game and a vital victory against an unbeaten rival. It was a big thing for us to score goals, and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Ajax</st1lace></st1:city>'s result takes pressure off us," Espanyol striker Luis Garcia said. <o></o>
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The Dutch, who have four points from two games, are still -137 favourites on WagerWeb.com for the match.<o></o>
<o></o>
Perhaps the most intriguing encounter will take place in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> as Lens welcomes Group D leader <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Parma</st1lace></st1:city> for a top-two battle. The host is a strong favourite to take over the standings with a home win.<o></o>
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Leader Panathinaikos Athens can advance to the knockout stages from Group G with a home win over Rapid Bucharest. <o></o>
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In Group A, Maccabi Haifa travels to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region> to face <st1lace w:st="on">Livorno</st1lace> knowing a victory would put it at the top of the table with nine points from four games. Idle Rangers is currently leading with seven points.<o></o>
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Group C leader AZ Alkmaar looks to grab its third straight victory as it welcomes Slovan Liberec. And Bayer Leverkusen hopes to right its ship in a Group B battle at Dinamo Bucharest. <o></o>
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And in Group E, <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nancy</st1:city></st1lace> hosts Feyenoord in a battle of teams just hoping to move onto the next stage of the competition.<o></o>
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No links please
></o>WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer<o
></o><o
></o>Don't be surprised if Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder doesn't put out his top lineup for the British side's Thursday UEFA Cup tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. <o
></o><o
></o>For one reason, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Newcastle</st1lace></st1:city> has already clinched first place in Group H and with it qualified for the 32-team knockout stage. <o></o><o
></o>For another, the players can use the rest as United is dangerously close to the bottom of the Premiership -- its home victory against <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1lace></st1:city> moved it just three points clear of the relegation zone.<o></o><o
></o>Oh, and many of Roeder's top guns are out. <o
></o><o
></o>Over the past week, winger Damien Duff and Craig Moore were both declared out for the next month. Celestine Babayaro and Stephen Carr both missed the <st1:city w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1:city> game and could miss the <st1
lace w:st="on">Frankfurt</st1lace> encounter.<o></o><o
></o>Add that quartet to strikers Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi, who are both out for the season, and goalkeeper Steve Harper -- on the sidelines after minor groin surgery -- and Roeder just hopes his team returns from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Germany</st1lace></st1:country-region> in full health. <o></o><o
></o>Those factors put together as well as the fact that Frankfurt needs a victory to stay in contention for the knockout stage make <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Newcastle</st1lace></st1:city> a +333 WagerWeb underdog. <o></o><o
></o>Staying in Group H, Turkish club Fenerbahce travels to Celta Vigo on the heels of an important victory over <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Palermo</st1lace></st1:city> last week, which puts it in second place with three points from two games -- two points more than Celta.<o></o><o
></o>"We played one of our best games of the season so far," Fenerbahce striker Mateja Kezman said after the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Palermo</st1lace></st1:city> win. "I am proud to have beaten one of the in-form teams in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Italy</st1lace></st1:country-region>. Now the path is open for us in the group. We will get at least a point at <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vigo</st1:city></st1lace>, then defeat Eintracht Frankfurt at home."<o></o><o
></o>Fenerbahce is also a +333 underdog, with Viga getting -138 odds for a home victory.<o
></o><o
></o>Another group leader in action this week is Spanish outfit Espanyol, which travels to Dutch giant Ajax Amsterdam with two victories in two games in Group F.<o
></o><o
></o>Ernesto Valverde's Spaniards thrashed Zulte Waregem 6-2 and are banking on the UEFA Cup this season after dropping to the lower ranks of the Primera Division in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Spain</st1lace></st1:country-region>. <o></o><o
></o>Espanyol's hopes in the UEFA Cup were helped when <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Ajax</st1lace></st1:city> could only gain a draw at Sparta Prague.<o></o><o
></o>"It was an important game and a vital victory against an unbeaten rival. It was a big thing for us to score goals, and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Ajax</st1lace></st1:city>'s result takes pressure off us," Espanyol striker Luis Garcia said. <o></o><o
></o>The Dutch, who have four points from two games, are still -137 favourites on WagerWeb.com for the match.<o
></o><o
></o>Perhaps the most intriguing encounter will take place in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> as Lens welcomes Group D leader <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Parma</st1lace></st1:city> for a top-two battle. The host is a strong favourite to take over the standings with a home win.<o></o><o
></o>Leader Panathinaikos Athens can advance to the knockout stages from Group G with a home win over Rapid Bucharest. <o
></o><o
></o>In Group A, Maccabi Haifa travels to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region> to face <st1
lace w:st="on">Livorno</st1lace> knowing a victory would put it at the top of the table with nine points from four games. Idle Rangers is currently leading with seven points.<o></o><o
></o>Group C leader AZ Alkmaar looks to grab its third straight victory as it welcomes Slovan Liberec. And Bayer Leverkusen hopes to right its ship in a Group B battle at Dinamo Bucharest. <o
></o><o
></o>And in Group E, <st1
lace w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nancy</st1:city></st1lace> hosts Feyenoord in a battle of teams just hoping to move onto the next stage of the competition.<o></o><o
></o><o
> </o><o
> </o>No links please
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