The 3rd qualifying round first legs are this week, and Chelsea, Rangers, Hearts fans also find out which 2 teams they could face in todays Play-Off draws.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Rangers start their European campaign with a tricky tie against Dynamo Kyiv. They travel to Poland for the first leg.
The other ties in the "League Path" are Slavia Prague vs Union Saint-Gilloise, Lille vs Fenerbahce and Red Bull Salzburg vs Twente.
In the "Champions Path" Sparta Prague vs Steaua Bucherest stands out. Midtjylland vs Ferencvaros, Malmo vs PAOK and Qarabag vs Ludogorets are among the other ties.
Rangers will play the winners of the Salzburg/Twente game if they beat Kyiv.
https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/draws/
EUROPA LEAGUE
Some British Isles representation here, mainly in the CL drop-out section.
Arguably the biggest tie is Panathinaikos vs Ajax. Two giants who met in the European Cup final in 1971 and the CL semi final in 1996 go head to head here.
Other notable fixtures are; Celje vs Shamrock Rovers; Petrocub Hincesti vs The New Saints; Dinamo Minsk vs Lincoln Red Imps; Partizan vs Lugano; Trabzonspor vs Rapid Vienna; Molde vs Cercle Brugge.
Hearts will face the winners of Viktoria Plzen and FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih.
https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/draws/
CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Chelsea await the draw, with Lens, Heidenheim, Fiorentina and Real Betis also starting in the play-off round.
One possible opponent for Chelsea is St Patrick's Athletic, who play Sabah.
Scotland vs Norway is a big theme of the 3rd Q round, with St Mirren vs Brann and Kilmarnock vs Tromso. Larne go to Ballkani in the first leg, while Brondby vs Legia Warsaw, Zurich vs Vitoria de Guimaraes and Silkeborg vs Gent are among the tasty looking match ups.
Chelsea will play the loser of the Braga/Servette Europa tie.
** That is a Europa game, so it is the losers who are of interest in this draw.
St Mirren could draw Fiorentina, while Heidenheim are seeded in Kilmarnocks section.
https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/draws/2025/2001909/
European competition.
posted on 5/8/24
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 4 minutes ago
Ain't Lublin in Lithuania?
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Poland
posted on 5/8/24
Lublin Triangle starts in Lithuania though...
posted on 5/8/24
Rangers/Dynamo Kyiv
vs
Salzburg/Twente
posted on 5/8/24
Cannot see Rangers going through both ties. Another fail for Scottish teams
posted on 5/8/24
Based on Saturdays performance and Kyiv's 2QR performance, Rangers are going to get slapped about tomorrow. But shocks can happen.
posted on 5/8/24
comment by HenryKamp (U21315)
posted 1 minute ago
Cannot see Rangers going through both ties. Another fail for Scottish teams
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Give us £150m a year from TV and we'll compete. The union dividend, eh?
posted on 5/8/24
Jose Mourinho's path back to Champions League football is Lille then Slavia Prague or Union Saint-Gilloise. He will fancy his chances.
Young Boys vs Galatasaray is the only definite fixture in play-off round
posted on 5/8/24
Europa draw highlights:
Lincoln Red Imps/Dinamo Minsk vs Anderlecht
Panathinaikos/Ajax vs Bodo/Glimt or Jagiellonia*
Qarabag/Ludogorets* vs Petrocub/The New Saints
LASK vs Steaua Bucherest/Sparta Prague*
Malmo/PAOK* vs Shamrock Rovers/Celje
Braga/Servette vs Trabzonspor/Rapid Vienna
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih/Viktoria Plzen vs Hearts
*Losers of the CL Q3 tie.
posted on 5/8/24
We're going to struggle v Kyiv.
Ben Davies was poor at the weekend so I'm assuming if our new signing is half fit he gets thrown in.
We've got two energetic midfielders that look like they need an experienced head to manage them, i suspect that might be a job for Tom Lawrence on Tuesday. A guy that's produced his best Europe but isn't really a CM imo.
Up top if the Dessers we know and hate turns up then we can forget it but if he shows up as his alter-ego CD9 which he does once in a blue moon then Kyiv defenders will be need ankle surgery on Wed morning and we'll be in a strong position for the 2nd leg.
posted on 5/8/24
Conference draw highlights:
St Mirren/Brann vs Astana/Corvinul
Lens vs Panathinaikos/Ajax
St Patrick's/Sabah vs Iberia Tbisli/Basaksehir
Chelsea vs Braga/Servette
Copenhagen/Banik vs Kilmarnock/Tromso