Being in the 4th Pot, Martin O’Neill and his team had a greater chance of being drawn in more difficult group. After being drawn towards the end, they were placed into group F with teams that will test Villa but also encourage them.
O’Neill has praised Martin Jol, and has said he’s relishing the game against his Hamburg side.
Group F - Hamburg, Ajax, Slavia Prague, Aston Villa, MŠK Žilina
Hamburg SV (AOL Arena, 17th December)
Hamburg, or HSV as they are more commonly known in Germany are currently at the top of the Bundesliga, and managed by ex Spurs boss Martin Jol.
HSV are one of the country’s oldest, most well known and best performing clubs, with the unique distinction of having played continuously in top-flight German football since the end of the 1st World War.
Hamburg do have European pedigree, actually winning the European Cup in 1983, the year after Villa did.
HSV fans can be buried at a dedicated graveyard near the home stadium, covered in turf from the original Hamburg pitch.
The men that will potentially be of the biggest threat are the lively a Croatian pair upfront. Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic are both incredibly energetic, with Petric very sharp in front of goal.
AFC Ajax (Villa Park, 23rd October)
The club is historically one of the three clubs that dominate Dutch football, and is one of the five teams that has earned the right to keep the European Cup.
Ajax have endured a poor start by their standards, they are currently 10th in the Eredivisie and have not won away in the league. New coach and former club legend Marco Van Basten has come under criticism already.
The club is also particularly famous for its renowned youth program that has produced many Dutch talents over the years such as Johan Cruyff and Dennis Bergkamp.
Villa shouldn’t be fooled into dismissing Ajax, they have a young talented squad, with Klass-Jan Huntelaar, Miralem Sulejmani and Luis Suarez likely to be dangerous in attack.
Slavia Praha (Stadion Eden, 6th November)
Along with their city rivals Sparta, Slavia Prague are one of the big two in Czech football, and are the reigning league champions.
Slavia, who famously sport a large red star on their chest instead of the club badge are two points clear at the top of the Gambrinus Liga at the moment.
The Czech powerhouse have featured in European competition regularly over the last 15 years reaching the quarter finals in ’97 and ’99, and the semis in ’96.
A player familiar to Villa fans will be Vladimir Smicer, a Champions League winner with Liverpool, but Slavia do have younger talent in the forms of Slovak left winger Dušan Švento, and the defensive Marek Suchý (Who had been linked with Villa).
MŠK Žilina (Villa Park, 4th December)
The least known of the whole group, actually used to be an old divisional rival of Slavia Prague in the Czechoslovakian league. Since the formation of the country of Slovakia, MŠK Žilina have proved to be one of the most successful teams winning four league titles in the past seven years.
Despite their success, Zilina have lost the players that helped them get it. The Russian and German leagues keep close eyes on such teams, plundering them for cheap talent.
Dušan Perniš, the reliable keeper will be difficult to beat and a key factor for Zilina.
Andy Clements
