PARIS (AFP) - Newcastle midfielder Kieron Dyer was in optimistic mood ahead of their UEFA Cup match at home to Belgian club Zulte-Waregem on Thursday night.

Europe´s second-tier competition is the last chance for Glenn Roeder´s men to win silverware this season and, with a 3-1 lead from the first leg of this last 32 match, Dyer was understandably buoyant.

Dyer told the Newcastle club website: "I expect us to win again and hopefully we can score goals and give the fans something to cheer on the night.

"It´s the only realistic thing we can win this season and I think the manager has said we´ll be going all guns blazing.

"In cup football, you need a bit of luck in the draws. There are still some good teams left in, Sevilla are flying high in the Spanish league and Werder Bremen are still in the competition.

"Hopefully, fingers crossed, we can get all our players back and then we can give anyone a game," added the England midfielder, who created the first of their goals last week.

Dyer´s last match in Europe, before last week´s first leg, was away to Sporting Lisbon in 2005 when, having found the net to lead 2-0 on aggregate in the second leg, a hamstring injury forced him to watch his team go on to lose 4-2.

Rangers too have the UEFA Cup as a last hope for silverware this term.

However the Scottish giants will have to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg Israel´s Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The Israeli side last week stopped the Glasgow giants from going a record 13 matches unbeaten in Europe, to beat the 12 in a row they managed when just failing to reach the 1993 Champions League final.

Baruch Dego´s 73rd-minute strike condemned Rangers to a 2-1 loss which meant they were beaten for the first time in any competition since Walter Smith returned to the manager´s chair last month, Nacho Novo having earlier cancelled out a stunning first-half free-kick by Hapoel´s Salim Toama.

Smith´s predecessor Paul Le Guen is in a stronger position with ailing French giants Paris Saint Germain, who hold a 2-0 advantage over AEK Athens as they prepare to host the Greeks.

However while Ivorian international striker Bonaventure Kalou looks likely to miss out through injury, Le Guen - who lasted less than a season at Rangers - is likely to repeat his selection policy of last week and leave out regulars such as Pauleta and Marcelo Gallardo preferring to keep them fresh for the league match with St Etienne this weekend.

Champions Sevilla meanwhile will have to do without midfielder Adriano Correia after he injured his hamstring in the 2-0 first leg win at Steaua Bucharest.

The 22-year-old is now not expected to get back to competitive action before the middle of next month.

In other matches, former Portuguese international Rui Costa is expected to miss Benfica´s trip to Dynamo Bucharest, Blackburn Rovers host Bayer Leverkusen with a 3-2 deficit from the first leg in Germany, and Portugal´s Braga must travel to Parma with new coach Jorge Costa after Rogerio Goncalves was sacked on Monday.

Thursday

UEFA Cup last 32 1st leg

AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Fenerbahce (TUR) 3-3

Blackburn Rovers (ENG) v Leverkusen (GER) 2-3

Nancy (FRA) v Shakthar Donetsk (UKR) 1-1

Maccabi Haifa (ISR) v CSKA Moscow (RUS) 0-0

Dynamo Bucharest (ROM) v Benfica (POR) 0-1

Newcastle (ENG) v Zulte-Waregem (BEL) 3-1

Parma (ITA) v Braga (POR) 0-1

Panathinaikos (GRE) v Lens (FRA) 1-3

Celta Vigo (ESP) v Spartak Moscow (RUS) 1-1

Paris Saint Germain (FRA) v AEK Athens (GRE) 2-0

Sevilla (ESP) v Steaua Bucharest (ROM) 2-0

Osasuna (ESP) v Bordeaux (FRA) 0-0

Ajax (NED) v Werder Bremen (GER) 0-3

Rangers (SCO) v Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR) 1-2

Espanyol (ESP) v Livorno (ITA) 2-1

Exempt: Tottenham (ENG)