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Former European champions Liverpool, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven must dig themselves out of trouble on Thursday if they are to make the quarterfinals of this season's Europa League.
Liverpool is 1-0 down from the first leg at Portuguese side Braga and with Premier League rival Manchester City behind 2-0 to Ukrainian giant Dynamo Kiev, England is struggling to have any representation in the last eight of Europe's second-tier knockout competition.
Dutch champion FC Twente is ahead 3-0 going into its second leg at 2008 winner Zenit St. Petersburg but the Netherlands' two other teams are in poor positions from their first legs.
Four-time European champion Ajax goes to Spartak Moscow looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit and PSV is locked at 0-0 ahead of the second leg at Scottish champion Rangers.
The Champions League is Liverpool's usual home in European competition but after a poor 2009-10 season, the Reds were forced to spend a year in the Europa League and have enjoyed fairly serene progress until the last 16.
Braga outplayed the three-time competition winner and five-time European champion in the first leg last Thursday but will find it much harder now that Liverpool is back at Anfield.
''We want to be playing at the highest level we possibly can. To do that we have to win matches, starting with the game tomorrow night,'' Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said. ''We've got to win by two goals to maintain our European status this year.
''Every game for us is really important. European football and this football club are synonymous. We'd love that to continue.''
England international Steven Gerrard is missing with a groin injury, depriving Liverpool of its captain and midfield heartbeat, but Dalglish is weighing up whether to give record signing Andy Carroll a first start for the club up front.
Progression to the FA Cup semifinals and an outside chance of the Premier League title may take Man City's eye off the ball in the Europa League.
The big-spending northwest club was easily beaten in the Ukrainian capital but winger Shaun Wright-Phillips insists the desire is still there to eliminate Dynamo.
''We believe we can beat Kiev. If we create one or two chances and we take them, then it's a whole new ball game,'' the England player said. ''We know we have to go out there and start firing straight from kickoff and create as many chances as possible. You never know what may happen.''
James Milner could make the bench for City after recovering from a nagging hamstring injury.
Ajax will be without Maarten Stekelenburg for its trip to Moscow after the Netherlands goalkeeper broke his right thumb in a training-ground incident last week.
His replacement, Jeroen Verhoeven, is expected to take his place despite recent criticism of his weight since stepping in as cover.
''If I knew how to lose the weight I'd be very thin,'' said Verhoeven, who was blamed for conceding Ajax's goal in the 3-1 win over Willem II on Sunday. ''I do all I can to shed the pounds - I do extra training - but it doesn't work.''
Right back Gregory van der Wiel trained separately Tuesday because of a minor knock to his thigh but he is expected to be fit for Ajax, which is third in the Dutch league and has struggled for goals in Europe since star striker Luis Suarez transferred to Liverpool in January.
PSV coach Fred Rutten took a 22-man squad to Ibrox missing only long-term injured striker Jonathan Reis, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last year.
Bulgaria defender Stanislav Manolev is likely to play in a protective mask after fracturing his cheek bone in Sunday's 2-2 league draw with NEC Nijmegen.
Rangers should be more attacking, a week after a sturdy defensive display eked out a goalless draw to make it slight favorite to go through.
Elsewhere, 2003 winner FC Porto takes a 1-0 lead into the second leg at home to CSKA Moscow, German side Bayer Leverkusen is 3-2 behind ahead of the match at Villarreal and Benfica is 2-1 ahead against Paris Saint-Germain, which is at home in the return match.
Still competing for three trophies this season, PSG looks set for another crisis amid growing rumbles of discontent in the changing room.
Hailed as the main reason of PSG's revival only weeks ago, Brazilian playmaker Nene has been struggling recently and has lost the confidence of his teammates, who made him a scapegoat for the team's problems after PSG failed to win its last three games in all competitions.
Coach Antoine Kombouare has asked his players ''to make efforts so we can be a team again'' while PSG president Robin Leproux addressed the players earlier this week to ease tensions.
''I asked them to stay united for our common goals,'' Leproux said.
