Four SPFL clubs learn European fate: possible Rangers reunion, intriguing Hearts tie, St Mirren and Killie routes
Rangers will play either Austrian outfit Salzburg or Twente of the Netherlands in the Champions League play-off round if they overcome Dynamo Kyiv in their third qualifying round tie.
Philippe Clement’s team take on last season’s Ukrainian runners-up in the first leg in Lublin, Poland on Tuesday, with the return at Hampden a week later. If they prevail over the two legs, they could have a reunion with ex-player Sam Lammers, who was sold to Twente – third in the Eredivisie last term – in July, which their own new signing Robin Propper arrived from the Dutch club. Salzburg, who were runners-up in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, are the favourites to progress.
The first leg would be in Glasgow on August 20 or 21, with the return match in Austria or the Netherlands on August 27 or 28.
Hearts face a Europa League play-off against the winners of the third qualifying round tie between Ukrainian side Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih and Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen.
Kryvbas finished third in the Ukrainian top flight last season, while Plzen were third in the Czech league. The two sides meet each other over the next two Thursdays to decide who will face the Edinburgh club, with the Ukrainians – as a result of the ongoing war with Russia – playing their home leg in Kosice, Slovakia.
The Jambos, who finished third in the Scottish Premiership last term, have been drawn away in the first leg of the play-off on August 22, with the return set to be at Tynecastle the following week. If Hearts lose, they will parachute into the Conference League group stage, as they did two years ago after losing their play-off against Swiss side Zurich.
St Mirren and Kilmarnock also discovered their potential Conference League play-off opponents during a busy day of draws at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Should St Mirren overcome Norwegian outfit Brann in the third play-off round, then they will play either CS Corvinul of Romania or Kazakh outfit FC Astana, while Kilmarnock will meet either Czech side Banik Ostrava or Danish giants FC Copenhagen if they progress past Tromso, also from Norway
Be the first to comment