Newcastle striker Alan Shearer believes the strength of the teams in the Intertoto Cup shows how desperate clubs are to play in European competition.
Ahead of their tie against Dubnica, he said: "Look at the teams we could be up against if we progress, the likes of Marseille, Deportivo and Lazio.
"That shows how strong the competition is. They are all out to be in Europe.
"The league is our first priority, but that is not to say we are not trying to get through to Europe."