Mersey rivals avoid Europe clash

Lowdown on the opposition

Everton have avoided Liverpool in the Champions League third qualifying round but face a tough task against Villarreal of Spain.

Liverpool will play Tirana or CSKA Sofia if they beat Kaunas, while Manchester United drew the winners of Hajduk Split and Debrecen of Hungary.

Rangers face Turkish side Trabzonspor or Anorthosis Famagusta from Cyprus.

If Celtic overturn a 5-0 loss against Artmedia Bratislava they play Sheriff of Moldova or Partizan Belgrade.

Everton face the hardest prospect of the five British clubs involved in the draw.

The Toffees play the first leg at home against Villarreal, who were the surprise package in La Liga last season when they finished third as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup.

"They'll be two good games, but two tough games," said Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.

"A club that finishes up there in Spain just shows that Villarreal are very good and very tough opposition - but isn't it great that we are playing them.

"It's great to see Everton's name in the Champions League draw for the first time.

Neither side would have relished it Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry on not drawing Everton

"As we were unseeded there weren't many games that we would say we fancied but we've got to go in and accept it as an opportunity to get into the group stages."

Liverpool hold a 3-1 lead over Kaunas of Lithuania and look odds on to reach the third qualifying round.

And chief executive Rick Parry expressed relief at avoiding a two-legged match against local rivals Everton.

"The main thing was avoiding Everton so that's fine," he said.

"Clearly when we were not given country protection conspiracy theorists thought it was going to happen. Neither side would have relished it."

Parry added he was "reasonably happy" at drawing the winners of CSKA Sofia and Tirana, a tie in which the Bulgarians hold a 2-0 lead over their Albanian opponents.

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"We've still got a job to do against Kaunas and we'll start thinking about the third round after Tuesday," he said.

"We will gather information and we are taking each game as it comes, we are professional - we are used to it. We treat everyone with respect but not fear."

Manchester United, who like Everton and Liverpool will also play the first leg at home, look likely to play Debrecen who hold a 3-0 lead over Hadjuk.

The clubs have never met before, but a potential trip to Hungary will bring back memories of one of Sir Alex Ferguson's worst European nights when his side lost 1-0 to Zalaegerszeg at the same stage in 2002 before crusing to victory in the second leg.

Debrecen are considering moving the home leg to the national stadium in Budapest.

Scottish champions Rangers will be on the road in the first leg, and boss Alex McLeish expects to be travelling to Turkey despite Trabzonspor trailing Anorthosis 3-1 - a match he has since watched.

"It was a high speed game between the two teams in the first leg and there was no little skill and technique," McLeish said.

"I would think at this stage that Trabzonspor would be the favourites as they have got an away goal.

"They had a man sent off at half time which obviously set them back a bit, but I would think they could overturn that.

"We could have picked, on paper, a bigger name. It looks like not a bad draw and at this stage we are happy that we have avoided the likes of Real Betis or teams of that ilk."

Celtic face an uphill task if they are to book a trip to either Serbia and Montenegro or Moldova after Gordon Strachan's side lost his first competitive match in charge to Artmedia 5-0.

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Champions League third qualifying round draw :

Basle 1893 v Werder Bremen
Celtic or Artmedia Bratislava v Partizan Belgrade or FC Sheriff
Shakhtar Donetsk v Inter Milan
Steaua Bucharest or Shelbourne v Rosenborg
Manchester United v Hajduk Split or Debrecen
Malmo or Maccabi Haifa v Dynamo Kiev or FC Thun
Everton v Villarreal
Liverpool or Kaunas v CSKA Sofia or Tirana
Sporting Lisbon v Udinese
Valerenga or FC Haka v Club Brugges
Rapid Vienna or F91 Dudelange v Lokomotiv Moscow or Rabotnicki Kometal
Anderlecht or Neftchi v Slavia Prague
Trabzonspor or Anorthosis Famagusta v Rangers
Brondby or Dynamo Tbilisi v Ajax
Real Betis v Monaco
Wisla Krakow v Panathinaikos

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The 16 matches will be played over two legs on 9/10 August and 23/24 August. Winners go into the group stages - where Arsenal and Chelsea enter.