Ahtletico Madrid or Monaco they ain't, but we could have done worse than Admira Wacker. At least it's a foreign trip. If you can afford Vienna, you're in for a few Iaughs . Expensive laughs.Trawling through the various European soccer handbooks and tour guides you quickly learn three facts.

One: Admira play in a place sort of Vienna way.

Two: No tour book writer since the beginning of time has visited their suburb.

Three: Admira Wacker is not the strangest name for a football team in Austria. That honour belongs to SV Hard.

Our preview begins with a prediction - Wacker to thwack us 3-1 on aggregate. (1-1 at home, 2-0 away). The reason being City's lack of flair and the gulf in technique we are sure to encounter. Despite hammerings administered to Austrian sides last year by English Clubs, City are clearly not in the same league as Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal. Arsenal may have beaten Austria Vienna 6-1 last season, but they were on the crest of a wave and had a habit of big wins and embarrassing defeats.

The Austrians may only have won two medals at the Olympics and lost to the Faroe Isiands in 1990, but they should not be underestimated. Sport may not be their strong suit but they are well capable of tripping us up.

Austria has a fair recent footballing history. Rapid Vienna reached the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1985, only to lose to Everton. Austria Vienna lost in the same competition's final in 1978, to Anderlecht. Wacker themselves have recent European pedigree, two years ago they went out of the last 16 of the UEFA Cup on penalties.

In the 1st Round they beat Dane Vejle BK, 1-0 and 3-0. A 2-0 aggregate win against Swiss side Luzern followed in the 2nd round. Then they beat Italians Bologna 3-0 at home but lost by the same score away. Bologna finished bottom of Serie A (the Italian First Division) but scraped through 6-5 on penalties.

In 1989/90, Wacker won through to the last eight of the Cup Winners' Cup, which appears to be the main reason for their high seeding in this year's competition. They beat Cypriots Limassol and Ferencvaros from Hungary, only to lose 3-1 to Anderlecht on aggregate.

Less impressively, a statistic that provides a glimmer of hope, five years ago they lost 2-1 to Finns TPS Turku in the UEFA Cup. This is possibly the only known example of a Finnish outfit beating anyone on aggregate. Yes we know that Liverpool lost to Kuusysi Lahti 1-0 away. Just shut up, will you.

On the domestic front, everyone and his dog knows that Wacker lost the Cup final to Austria Vienna (also confusingly known as FK Austria and Austria Memphis). On the way there they recorded some good wins. In the 4th round they beat Vorarts Steyr, who finished 7th in last year's Championship play-offs, 3-0 at home. The previous year they had gone out at the same stage to Tottenham's victims of last August, SV Stockerau. First Division Sturm Graz were beaten 2-0 in the quarter-finals at home. Viennese 2nd Division side Favoritner were the semifinal fodder - Wacker winning 2-1.

The bald fact is that good support could be crucial if City are going to go through. And god knows we've got plenty of that unless the 200 or so trolls who go to two or three games a year turn up.

It may be that more City fans wili go to the away game than Wacker supporters. Our advice to travellers is to go to Cyprus instead because it's cheaper.

Admira Factfile
Formed:
1905

Stadium:
The Bundestadion. Capacity: 18,600.

Honours:
Nine domestic championships.
Wacker are the 3rd most successful Club in Austrian football history behind Rapid and FK Austria, who have both won more than 20 championships.

Cups:
Wacker have won five cups most recently in 1966 when the Club did the double.

Europe:
The match in Cardiff will be their 25th in the Cup competitions and their 9th in the ECWC Cup. Both the big two (above) and FC Tirol and Wiener Sportclub have more European experience.

Full Record:
P24 W10 D3 L11 F22 A28

International Players:
Many. Recent names include Gerhard Rodax, a current International who moved from Wacker and spent last season with Rapid. Also Manfred Zsak. Current 'name' is Roger Ljung, 26, who has played 31 times for Sweden. He replaced suspended Patrik Anderson in the European Championship semi-final against Germany.

Support:
By all accounts variable. The visit of Rapid attracted 7,000, Austria Vienna 9,000. Crowds above 10,000 are rare. Stahl Linz, according to Worid Soccer drew a paltry 1,000.

Cardiff's Euro Record:
P44 W15 D12 L17 F62 A50