Hamburg - Tottenham Hotspur hope to carry their rising Premier League form into the UEFA Cup on Thursday while Aston Villa seek a second win and Manchester City seek a good start into the competition.

Spurs were humbled 2-0 at Udinese in their opening group D match two weeks ago but now hope to rise from last place with a victory against Dinamo Zagreb.

City, who were idle on the first group match day, are at home as well, against Dutch side Twente Enschede in group A. Villa visit Slavia Prague after defeating former winners Ajax Amsterdam in their group F opener.

Unbeaten since the arrival of manager Harry Redknapp, and coming off a 2-1 weekend win over Liverpool, the 1972 and 1984 UEFA Cup champions Spurs are confident that they can turn their European fortunes as well.

"The team is playing with more confidence now and we have picked up three very good results," said goalkeeper Huerelho Gomes.

"We went through a difficult period but worked hard in training to put things right, so now this is a good time for the team. But now we are playing well again and it's a great moment for the team, which is important for the newer players."

Redknapp also hopes reverse his personal fortunes as he lost the group stage opener 3-0 to Portugal's Braga while still at the Portsmouth helm.

Spurs playmaker Luka Modric faces his former team, who won their first match against Dutch side Nijmegen. Zagreb are expected to have all players fit again after many were hit by a virus last week.

In the other group game Spartak Moscow start their campaign against Udinese, who could take another step towards the knockout stages with a second win in Russia.

Manchester City will be hoping to make a winning start in their group by beating the Twente team of former England coach Steve McClaren.

"Thursday will be a good test, they are a decent team, well organised and it's going to be a good test," manager Mark Hughes told the club website.

City lost the last two league matches but have history on their side as they beat Twente three decades ago 3-2 at home after a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands to advance in the 1978-79 campaign.

Racing Santander play Germany's Schalke in the other group A game while Paris St Germain have the day off.

Aston Villa will be looking to make it two wins out of two when they travel to Slavia Prague in group F where Ajax host MSK Zilina in the other match and SV Hamburg are idle.

The other four German teams are in action, though.

Apart from Schalke's match in Santander, VfB Stuttgart play Partizan Belgrade in a meeting of first match day losers in group C.

Hertha Berlin visit Metalist Kharkiv in group B which also sees a match of group favourites Benfica Lisbon and former champions Galatasaray Istanbul.

VfL Wolfsburg open their campaign against Dutch club Heerenveen in group E, where top UEFA Cup title favourites AC Milan seek a second victory when they host Braga at the San Siro.

Milan have overcome a rocky season start to top the Serie A for the first time in four years. They hope to build on that success against a Braga team which hasn't conceded a goal in its seven European games played so far this season.

The other games are Standard Liege vs Sevilla (group C), St Etienne vs Rosenborg Trondheim, Valencia vs Copenhagen (both group G), Lech Poznan vs AS Nancy and
2002 winners Feyenoord Rotterdam vs 2005 champions CSKA Moscow (both group H). (dpa)