Bayern Munich appear to be the only team sure of a place in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals when the contenders are reduced from 16 teams to eight this week.

Bayern, four times champions of Europe but competing in UEFA's second club competition after failing to qualify for the Champions League, won 5-0 at Anderlecht in the first leg.

All the other ties are more evenly balanced with the clubs currently trailing still in contention for the return legs.
But Rangers, 2-0 ahead of Werder Bremen, Olympique Marseille, 3-1 up against Zenit St Petersburg, and Fiorentina, who take a 2-0 advantage to Everton, will be confident of converting home leg advantages into quarterfinal places. PSV Eindhoven, who inflicted a 1-0 home defeat on Tottenham Hotspur, and Getafe, who won 2-1 at Benfica, will also expect to build on last week's precious away wins.

Coach quits

Benfica's defeat, coupled with Sunday's 2-2 draw against bottom-of-the-table Uniao Leiria, was enough to make Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho resign on Sunday.

Hamburg SV, who are third in the Bundesliga a point ahead of UEFA Cup opponents Bayer Leverkusen, will also feel they can turn around their tie after going down 1-0 away last week.

Sporting Lisbon would like nothing more than to advance while arch-rivals Benfica flounder and could make home advantage count against Bolton Wanderers after drawing 1-1 last week.

Bayern's 5-0 win in Brussels equalled their best away win in Europe and was Anderlecht's worst European home defeat.

Favourites

The result further confirmed the German league leaders as favourites to repeat their solitary UEFA Cup triumph of 1996. Spanish coach Juande Ramos has been associated with UEFA Cup success far more recently, having guided Sevilla to victory in the competition in the last two seasons.

Ramos joined Spurs four months ago and, although he won the League Cup to guarantee the club a UEFA Cup place next season, his hopes of a hat-trick in the competition are in peril.

PSV, who dropped down from the Champions League group stage are, like Bayern, leading their national league, and have emerged as one of the favourites to reach this year's final in the City of Manchester stadium on May 14.