Tottenham manager Martin Jol
© AFP/File Carl De Souza

PARIS (AFP) - Tottenham, who won the European competition way back in 1984, lead Slavia Prague by 1-0 going into Thursday's White Hart Lane first round, second leg.

Spurs' recent domestic results have left morale low at the north London club.

Fresh from a 3-0 thrashing by Liverpool at the weekend and only one victory and two goals scored in their first six Premiership matches, Tottenham need some cheer.

"We keep creating chances, but we haven't been putting them away," said Jol following Saturday's 3-0 Anfield setback.

Tottenham, who just failed to earn a Champions League spot last season, need to repeat their first leg performance, when Jermaine Jenas's goal from a fierce right-foot shot settled the issue while Spurs were largely dominated.

Of the other English clubs in action, Newcastle lead Levadia Tallinn of Estonia 1-0 and Blackburn Rovers are standing at 2-2 with Austrian side Salzburg.

West Ham will have a tougher task at Palermo where they are 1-0 behind though an off-pitch subplot has come in the form of the Sicilian club selling t-shirts which say: "The mafia disgust me. Liberty is 'Cosa Nostra'" on the run-up to Thursday's match.

Yossi Benayoun (C) of West Ham vies for the ball with Marco Pisano (R) and Andrea Barzagli of Palermo
© AFP/File Odd Andersen

The move comes after the sale of t-shirts before the first leg in London which read: "Hammers (West Ham's nickname) against the Mafia."

Sicilian governor Salvatore Cuffaro said: "It's the way that we have chosen to give the English fans a welcome to our land, a way in which to put an end to the incident with the shirts which put the word mafia next to the city of Palermo."

West Ham will be without defender Anton Ferdinand however after he limped out of Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City with a hamstring strain.

Hammers boss Alan Pardew said: "I don't know when he will be back but it's an absolute certainty that Anton will not be available for the Palermo game."

Last season's UEFA Cup champions Sevilla look set for second round action as they welcome Atromitos of Greece with a 2-1 lead.

French high-profile club Paris Saint Germain meanwhile are looking for a better second leg performance against Derry City after only managing a goalless draw in Northern Ireland.

©AFP