LONDON -- Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham are among the teams relying on other results for Europa League progress and it isnt 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 on Wednesday needing to better Salzburgs 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 Europes second-tier club competition by consistently fielding second-string lineups of reserves and youth players. A full-strength Spurs side has taken the club to third in the Premier League but the Europa League side is on the verge of elimination after back-to-back defeats to Rubin and PAOK. 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. With Spurs slim Premier League title hopes having been further dented by the end of their 11-game unbeaten streak in Sundays 2-1 defeat at Stoke, Redknapp is unlikely to fret too much if his team goes out or significantly strengthen his lineup to prevent it. 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 on Wednesday. PSG will be missing striker Guillaume Hoarau and midfielders Clement Chantome and Blaise Matuidi against Bilbao, which has already advanced. Javier Pastore is still out of form, with the C42 million playmaker without a goal in six games, but Nene has been playing well recently and Kevin Gameiro ended an 11-game scoring drought in Saturdays 1-0 win at Sochaux. That was also PSGs first clean sheet in six games after conceding nine in the previous five. "It had been a while since we didnt concede a goal," coach Antoine Kombouare said. "Its the best way to prepare the Bilbao match on Wednesday. Victories give us a lot of confidence." Winger Jeremy Menez said PSG should at least try to advance. "It would be a failure if we get knocked out, considering our squad," Menez said. 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. Lazio struggled against Lecce at the weekend before winning 3-2 for a second straight victory, but goalkeeper Federico Marchetti is out injured and defenders Giuseppe Biava and Abdoulay Konko are also doubts. "Our unity is our strength," coach Edy Reja said. "Theres the right rapport." Udinese needs only to avoid defeat to visiting Celtic on 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 the Scottish side through courtesy of a superior head-to-head record against Udinese. Udinese surprised many last season by finishing fourth and the unfashionable club was expected to struggle after losing key midfielder Gokhan Inler to Napoli and striker Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona. But Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin, who said as recently as Thursday that his main aim remains avoiding relegation, has manoeuvred his team into contention for Italys Serie A title. "Its great. Its a magical period for us which well try to make last as long as possible," Guidolin said. "Udinese have done well these past few years but not like this past year and a half. "To be doing better than last year having sold such key players surprised everyone, but the explanation lies in the fact that we know each other better." Udinese has won all seven of its Serie A home games and is also unbeaten in the Europa League at the Stadio Friuli. Also Thursday, AZ Alkmaar can guarantee progress with a win over Metalist Kharkiv. Wholesale Jerseys . 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"Were going to change up the Gatorade flavour, we feel good about that. Were going to change our travel sweats. Were going to change, at the hotel, the beefy mac (and cheese) recipe the night before, just kind of give it a little extra kick. We feel like those three things are going to help pull us through." For one last time this season, Brees and the Saints proved how tough they are to hang with in the Big Easy, clinching an NFC wild-card spot Sunday with a 42-17 rout of the downtrodden Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brees was his usual prolific self, passing for four touchdowns and even running for a score as New Orleans (11-5) concluded the regular season 8-0 at home. But the Saints went 3-5 on the road this season, and they had little time to celebrate their widely anticipated triumph over the Bucs before fielding questions about what they can do to change their fortunes outside the Superdome. "Were going to be told all week long that we cant win on the road," right tackle Zack Strief said. "We all acknowledge why people say that, and yet, the other games dont matter -- not anymore." If the Saints can indeed summon Superdome-like performances in the coming weeks, theyll be a dangerous No. 6 seed. New Orleans opens the playoffs Saturday night at NFC East champion Philadelphia. Three of Brees scoring strikes against Tampa Bay went longer than 40 yards -- 76 to Kenny Stills, 44 to Lance Moore and 41 to Robert Meachem. Brees passed for 381 yards, eclipsing 5,000 yards in a season for an unprecedented fourth time. He finished the season with 5,162 yards to go with 39 touchdowns. "We did a lot of things well today at time when we needed to," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "Im proud of how they finished. ... Its hard to get 11 wins in this league." Brees other TD was a 10-yard pass to tight end Jimmy Graham. Mike Glennon passed for 219 yards and two TDs for Tampa Bay (4-12). With doubts swirling about the future of second-year Bucs coach Greg Schiano, Tampa Bay cllosed the season with losses in its last three games, and four of its last five.dddddddddddd "Any time you win only four games, there are definitely going to be some type of changes," right tackle Demar Dotson said. "Upstairs, downstairs-- I dont know what its going to be." The Saints had lost three of their previous four games to set up a season finale they needed to win to assure themselves of a playoff spot. They got back to the post-season for the fourth time in five seasons, the lone exception being 2012, when Payton was suspended the entire season in connection with the NFLs bounty probe. "Obviously, Seans a huge part of" the Saints return to the playoffs, Brees said. "Four out of five years, winning an average of 12 games in every one of those (playoff) years. Thats a big deal." Schiano, meanwhile, coached like he had nothing to lose, trying a fake field goal, which failed, and going for it three times on fourth down, converting one. In the end, his team was overmatched, outgained 468 yards to 290. Asked about his future, Schiano said: "I dont think I have to say anything. Thats not being smug. I come in and do my job the best that I can. Thats other peoples decision." Schiano did call a successful flea-flicker on which Glennon found Tiquan Underwood for a 48-yard score to tie it at 7. Glennon was also intercepted by Keenan Lewis, setting up Brees 9-yard touchdown run in the second half. Pierre Thomas provided New Orleans other second-half score on an 8-yard run. Brees was 17 of 21 for 321 yards in the first half, when he threw all of his scoring passes and had a maximum 158.3 passer rating. His final line was 24 of 31 for 381 yards, no interceptions and a rating of 157.4. Brees went over the 5,000-yard mark in style, hitting Meachem deep down the sideline to make it 21-7. Glennons 1-yard pass to Tim Wright in the corner of the end zone cut it to 21-14, but Stills score made it 28-14, and the Bucs did not threaten again. Notes: Lewis interception was his fourth. ... Saints OLB Junior Gallette had two sacks to reach a career-high 12. ... Tampa Bay gave up season highs in yards and points. ... The Bucs have won four or fewer games in three of the past five seasons. cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '