Football United

Villarreal CF are out to protect a 1-0 lead, while that is the scoreline FC Nantes Atlantique must reverse, as both clubs target success in the UEFA Intertoto Cup tonight.

Tight ties
Spanish side Villarreal won one of last year's three finals to earn a UEFA Cup place and will feel confident they can survive a trip to Hamburger SV of Germany in their semi-final second leg. French contenders Nantes, meanwhile, welcome Czech hopefuls FC Slovan Liberec knowing they must make home advantage count to have a chance of progress.

Knee trouble
Villarreal will be without striker Sonny Anderson, however. The Brazilian is the competition's joint-top scorer with Hamburg's Bernardo Romeo but has not travelled after complaining of knee trouble. It was Anderson's 62nd-minute goal that gave Villarreal a slender lead last weekend.

Toppmöller defiant
Hamburg also have problems with Czech Republic defender Tomáš Ujfaluši departing for ACF Fiorentina. But Sergej Barbarez may be fit again and coach Klaus Toppmöller said: "We were criticised heavily after the first leg. We will now go out and show everyone that we can play football."

Source: Uefa.com