Germain and Tottenham are among the teams relying on other results for Europa League progress and it isn't quite clear which way they want things to go when the group stage concludes this week. Although the competition offers the clubs the realistic chance of a trophy, both know elimination would leave them free to focus on more pressing domestic matters. PSG is tied with Montpellier at the top of the French league, while Spurs are in contention for a top-four finish in England. PSG hosts Athletic Bilbao Wednesday needing to better Salzburg's result at Slovan Bratislava if it is to progress ahead of the Austrian club. Tottenham can only advance Thursday if it wins at Shamrock Rovers and Rubin Kazan loses at PAOK. With 15 teams having advanced, nine remaining berths are up for grabs this week — with 19 clubs in contention to fill them. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has made clear his view of Europe's second-tier club competition by fielding second-string lineups. PAOK has already clinched progress and Rubin needs only to avoid defeat to guarantee a place in the knockout stages, where eight sides including Manchester United and Manchester City will enter the competition following their elimination from the Champions League. Even defeat could take Rubin through since Tottenham also needs victory and a five-goal swing to progress. The likes of Danny Rose, Harry Kane and Jake Livermore are all likely to play ahead of Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Emmanuel Adebayor and Scott Parker. Chasing its first French league title since 1993-94, PSG is in a similar position Wednesday. PSG will be missing striker Guillaume Hoarau and midfielders Clement Chantome and Blaise Matuidi against Bilbao, which has already advanced. Also Wednesday, Lazio needs to pick up more points in Group D against Sporting Lisbon than FC Vaslui manage at FC Zurich to edge the Romanian team to the next round. Udinese needs only to avoid defeat to visiting Celtic Thursday to advance from Group I alongside 2010 champion Atletico Madrid, which can clinch top spot with victory over eliminate Rennes. Victory for Celtic would take it through courtesy of a superior head-to-head record against Udinese, which has won all its Serie A home games and is unbeaten in Europa. Also Thursday, AZ Alkmaar can guarantee progress with a win over Metalist Kharkiv.
