Reds face Euro trip to Israel

Liverpool face a trip to the strife-torn Middle East next month after Rafael Benitez's 2005 European champions were drawn to play Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League's third qualifying round. However, Israel could be on the brink of being banned from playing club and international matches at home because of the worsening security situation in the region resulting from the conflict in Lebanon. If the match does go ahead in Israel rather than in a neutral country, the second leg is likely to be moved from Haifa, which is close to the conflict zone, to Tel Aviv. The first leg will be played at Anfield. Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, will be looking to plot the downfall of either Lithuanian side Ekranes or Dynamo Zagreb of Croatia, as he bids to guide last year's beaten finalists Arsenal into the initial group stage of European club football's most prestigious competition. Hearts, who finished runners-up to Scottish Premier League champions Celtic last season, will take on Greek side AEK Athens if they see off Bosnian side Siroki Brijeg in the second qualifying round. Irish side Cork City have been drawn to play six-time European champions AC Milan, whose participation still has to be ratified by Uefa following the Italian match-fixing scandal, if they can overturn a 1-0 deficit against Red Star Belgrade, who won the European Cup in 1991. The first legs of the Champions League's third qualifying round will be played on August 8 / 9 with the returns a fortnight later. Newcastle have been paired with Ventspils in the second qualifying round for the Uefa Cup, with the first leg in Latvia on August 10 and the return at St James' Park on August 24. Beaten Scottish Cup finalists Gretna will face Irish side Derry while eircom League rivals Drogheda will take on Dnish side Start and Welsh Premier League Llanelli face Odense.

ITN | July 28, 2006

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