Favorites AC Milan will face Werder Bremen, one of the Champions League dropouts, in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup following the draw in Nyon yesterday.

The Italians, seven times European champions but who have never won the UEFA Cup, were sure to meet one of the Champions League third-place finishers after their 2-2 home draw with VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday allowed the German side to top their qualifying group.

Bremen finished behind Panathinaikos and Inter Milan in its Champions League group.

Wolfsburg's reward is a game against Paris St Germain, which sneaked through on goal difference thanks to its 4-0 win over Twente Enschede in its final group game this week.

If Milan progresses it will meet either Olympiakos Piraeus or St Etienne in the last 16.

Holders Zenit St Petersburg, back in the competition after finishing third behind Real Madrid and Juventus in its Champions League group, was drawn against VfB Stuttgart in the first knockout round.

If Zenit wins it will play either Udinese or Polish outsiders Lech Poznan.

Four-time European champion Ajax Amsterdam will play Fiorentina, the semifinalists last season which is currently going well in fifth place in Serie A.

The last-32 ties will be played over two legs on February 18/19 and February 26. The final is in Istanbul on May 20.

Sevilla's bid for a third UEFA Cup title in four years was ended on Thursday by Sampdoria.

Jonathan Bottinelli's 75th-minute goal gave Sampdoria a 1-0 win over Sevilla, which was also overtaken in Group C by Stuttgart after the German club's 3-0 victory over group winner Standard Liege.

Racing Santander was knocked out on goal difference in Group A when Manchester City, which had already qualified, scored an injury-time consolation goal in a 3-1 loss. City is up against Copenhagen next.

Tottenham rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Spartak Moscow to advance at the expense of the Russian club along with NEC Nijmegen, which scored two late goals to beat Group D winner Udinese 2-0. Spurs will face Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk.

Olympiakos trounced Hertha Berlin 4-0 to reach the last 32, but it was Metalist Kharkiv which topped Group B ahead of Galatasaray by edging Benfica 1-0.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily December 20, 2008)