Cork City have been to the Baltics before on European football expeditions in Latvia and Lithuania but this evening’s Europa League first round qualifier here in the coastal resort town of Parnu is a first for the club.

The map of Europe presents a very different picture now to the days John Caulfield was gnawing at the ankles of elite club defenders.

Manchester United will play Belgian side Anderlecht in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Stephen Kenny will be in Poland tomorrow to watch Legia Warsaw host Piast Gliwice as Dundalk accelerate preparations for their huge Champions League play-off games against the Polish champions at Aviva Stadium on August 17 and in Warsaw on August 23.

Republic of Ireland 5 Czech Republic 2: The scoresheet told the feel-good story, the team sheets the political one.

The most significant football event of the year may have been a meeting in Shanghai last week.

Tonight is when the Champions League starts to get serious.

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Talk about making an impact.

Arsene Wenger called on his Arsenal team to believe they can rewrite the record books and overturn AC Milan’s 4-0 lead to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League tonight.

EVERTON will face the real Tractor Boys as well as Benfica, a club steeped in European football history, in the group stage of the new-look Europa League group stage.

Celtic face a daunting trip to Russia to begin their Champions League campaign after they were drawn against Dinamo Moscow in the third round of qualifying today.

Valencia, Braga, Wolfsburg, Aston Villa, Hamburg and Ajax booked their places in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup after a pulsating evening of European football that delivered 26 goals across eight games.

ASTON VILLA are set to unleash their latest academy prospect in striker Nathan Delfouneso against MSK Zilina in UEFA Cup Group F tonight, with manager Martin O’Neill convinced he has the talent to make a major impact.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan and striker Marlon Harewood are poised to start for Aston Villa as Martin O’Neill rings the changes for tomorrow’s UEFA Cup clash with MSK Zilina at Villa Park.

Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov and right-back Luke Young could return from injuries for the Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.

Aston Villa missed out on the chance to climb into a Champions League spot as two-goal Tuncay earned Middlesbrough victory at Villa Park.

Aston Villa have been boosted by the return to fitness of winger James Milner for Sunday’s Villa Park clash against Middlesbrough.

Aston Villa have doubts over midfielder Stiliyan Petrov and winger James Milner for Sunday’s home clash against Middlesbrough.

ROBINHO lit up the night sky as Manchester City got off to a winning start — a 3-2 win over FC Twente — in Group A of the UEFA Cup.

Slavia Prague 0 Aston Villa 1

MANCHESTER CITY manager Mark Hughes believes Steve McClaren deserves credit for re-launching his career abroad.

The Football Association will not pursue any investigation against Joey Barton after Aston Villa confirmed they had no complaint to make in relation to an incident involving forward Gabriel Agbonlahor and the Newcastle midfielder.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is set to make changes for tomorrow’s UEFA Cup meeting with Slavia Prague in the Czech capital.

Aston Villa 2 Ajax 1

Aston Villa 2 Ajax 1

PORTSMOUTH chief executive Peter Storrie admits drawing Italian giants AC Milan in Europe is a “dream come true” for the club.

Struggling Tottenham will face Spartak Moscow, Udinese, Dinamo Zagreb and NEC Nijmegen in the next stage of their UEFA Cup campaign.

Portsmouth have been drawn against AC Milan, Heerenveen, Braga and Wolfsburg in the UEFA Cup group phase.

Barclays Premier League strugglers Tottenham will find out later today who they will face in the UEFA Cup group stage.

Pavel Kralovec will referee Scotland’s World Cup qualifying opener against Macedonia – just eight months after being banned for a poor performance by the Czech Football Association.

PORTSMOUTH manager Harry Redknapp could be set to bring in two new faces as the club prepare to make their UEFA Cup debut.

Tottenham will face Wisla Krakow in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

Romania striker Adrian Mutu suffered another setback on Tuesday when he dislocated an elbow while preparing for Wednesday’s international friendly against Latvia.

Tottenham goalkeeper Radek Cerny has agreed a two-year contract with Coca-Cola Championship side QPR.

Juande Ramos admits Tottenham will have little chance of Carling Cup glory against Chelsea without significant improvement on this week’s European performance.

Paul Robinson was recalled to the Tottenham starting XI for the UEFA Cup clash against Slavia Prague after 10 games out of the side.

JONATHAN Woodgate is prepared to miss Tottenham’s Wembley showpiece this weekend to help them through to the next round of the UEFA Cup.

TOTTENHAM edged towards the last 16 of the UEFA Cup with victory over Slavia Prague but Radek Cerny handed his former club a lifeline with a second-half blunder in the first-leg clash.

Slavia Prague 1 Tottenham 2

RADEK CERNY is set to make an emotional return to Slavia Prague for Tottenham’s UEFA Cup clash — this time as first choice ahead of Paul Robinson.

Tottenham skipper Ledley King travelled with the squad to the Czech Republic for the UEFA Cup clash against Slavia Prague.

IF Robbie Keane’s ambitions are realised, and Tottenham do end the season with two new cups in White Hart Lane’s dusty trophy cabinet, it is clear the club’s physios will be as crucial as their coaches.