Intertoto, Round 3 … for all the marbles

This is it, the one that counts. The third round of the Intertoto Cup is underway, and eleven teams will move on from here to the second qualifying round of the (sort of) big show, the UEFA Cup. This week saw the entrance of some of the bigger names into the Intertoto, names like Hamburg, Lens, and Blackburn Rovers. Here’s a breakdown of the first leg.

Size matters … sometimes
Sometimes, favorites are favorites for a reason. Blackburn showed their early form against Vetra of Lithuania, taking the Lithuanian home leg 2-0. They now come home hoping to put their opponents away and move on smoothly.

… but not always
There were some pretty big surprises in this round. Hamburg and Lens both only managed draws in their away first legs, leaving themselves vulnerable. One stray goal now and their European adventure could be over.

Romanians run rampant
How’s that for national unity? Both of the Romanian teams in this year’s competition started this round in Romania against stronger-ranked opponents, and both won their home leg 2-1. Gloria Bistriţa took out Atlético Madrid and Oţelul Galaţi beat Trabzonspor. They both face a strong challenge on the road, but even if only one of these teams go through, it will be a great accomplishment for Romania in this competition.

I’m still traveling and trying to make these reports as I can from various airports, so I apologize for both their rarity and brevity. I’ll make it up to you, loyal Offsiders, when I land and settle down back in Scotland next week.

Category: Europe, Intertoto Cup, Tournament News, UEFA Cup

Tags: Atletico Madrid, Blackburn Rovers, Europe, Gloria Bistrita, Hamburg, Intertoto Cup, Lens, Otell Galati, Third Round, Tournament News, Trabzonspor, UEFA Cup, Vetra

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