The UEFA Cup draw will be held later this morning, and it will determine the opponents of Porto, Sporting, Boavista and Leixoes. As it now stands, 96 teams - 48 of them seeded - are divided into six groups of 16 teams based on geographical criteria and in accordance with the club coefficient ranking list. Two pots will be prepared for each group, one for the seeded teams and one for the non-seeded teams. This will ensure every tie pits a seeded team against a non-seeded team. The first team drawn will play its first match at home, against the second team drawn. The first round games will be played on Sept 19 and Oct 3. Here is where the Portuguese teams stand: Sporting is seeded and in Pot 1. Boavista is seeded and in Pot 2. Leixoes is unseeded and in Pot 4. Porto is seeded and in Pot 6. Lazio, Parma and Chelsea are the top three seeds. Porto is the highest seeded Portuguese club at 6. The rest of the seedings go like this -- Sporting (27), Boavista (22)and Leixoes (63). Others clubs in the tournament with Portuguese players include Lazio (Couto), Chelsea (Filipe Oliveira), Bordeaux (Pauleta, Caneira, Basta), Betis (Tomas), PSG (Leal, Teixeira), Hertha Berlin (Roberto Pinto), Fulham (Boa Morte), Malaga (Litos) and Stuttgart (Meira).
Group 1: Sporting draws Partizan Belgrade Other games with Portuguese interests, include PSG-Ujpesti TE, and Betis-Zimbru Chisinau
Group 2: Boavista is matched up with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Top-seeded Lazio gets Xanthi FC, and Hertha Berlin draws Aberdeen.
In Group 3, Fernando Meira's Stuttgart will play Ventspils, while teenager Filipe Oliveira (who likely will not play) will play against Viking.
IN Group 4, Cinderella story Leixoes will meet Greece's PAOK. Pauleta, Caneira and Basta drew SKM Puchov. Litos and Malaga will face Zeljeznicar.
And, finally, recent seleccao call up Luis Boa Morte and his mates from Fulham have drawn Hajduk Split.
YES All the Portugeuse teams should win.........Woudnt that be a something.. But Leixoes is in tough with PAOK
I honestly think the Boavista - Maccabi matchup may not be as easy as you think, either. However, Boavista, like Porto and Sporting, will be favored. Let's hope that these three teams (I really don't expect much from Leixoes) makes some noise.
I put my money on Leixoes does guys never give up, they got the new star Brito from the unknown Cape Verde Islands.
I dont know though..............Its going to be tough.... But if they do pull of another upset.....Then thell be something to be worried about(for other teams)
It proves we got quality players playing in the portuguese lower divisions and we should keep a eye in does leagues. Remember Peixoto for Porto and Belenenses two years ago was playing for the 3rd division Taipas, this year Porto pay a couple million euros to Belenenses. Another Leixoes player will be on the move soon his the Leixoes Bebe Bruno China. We need changes in the II division B, we need to promote more the one team to the II league per division, its very hard to get promoted from the II division B to the II league, its easier from the II league to the Super League three teams get promoted, teams like Leixoes with great facilities, and a city to back theme up needs to get back in to the Super League.