Local champions Valletta FC are in Belgrade where this evening they face Serbian champions FK Partizan in the second leg of the second qualifying round.

Partizan lead 4-1 after their first leg win in Malta last week.

This result has obviously made the Serbs firm favourites to qualify to the third qualifying round.

Valletta were overpowered in the first half in last week’s first leg. By the interval, Partizan had already built a comfortable 3-0 lead and then went on to conclude the match with the same three-goal gap, though the final score was 4-1.

Coach Mark Miller and the whole City clan seem to be aware that they have no chance of advancing into the next round. Their only hope now is to produce a decent performance – at least trying to keep the strong Partizan side from winning with a handsome margin.

Other matches

Debreceni VSC, FC Salzburg and GNK Dinamo Zagreb are among the more heralded teams who have work to do when the second qualifying round concludes today and tomorrow.

While HJK Helsinki, Neftçi PFK, FK Partizan, AEL Limassol FC, NK Maribor and Molde FK are well positioned heading into the second legs of their qualifying round ties, the likes of FC Salzburg, Debreceni VSC and GNK Dinamo Zagreb still have plenty of work to do.

Salzburg were victims of one of the shocks of the round so far when they fell to a 1-0 first-leg defeat by ten-time champions of Luxembourg F91 Dudelange last week.

Debrecen, who featured in the 2009/10 group stage, also lost 1-0 first time out.

Dinamo, meanwhile, are looking to build on a 1-1 draw with Bulgarian champions PFC Ludogorets Razgrad