The draw for European football qualifying rounds took place on Monday, determining the paths for multiple British and Irish clubs competing in three separate competitions.
Celtic has been paired with Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-offs. The Scottish side will host the first leg on August 18 or 19, with the return match scheduled for August 25 or 26. The loser of this tie will drop into the Europa League’s league phase. Manager Martin O’Neill’s team will aim to secure a spot in the Champions League’s league phase through this two-legged encounter.
Brighton, which finished eighth in the Premier League last season, will compete in the Conference League play-offs against either Romanian club CFR Cluj or Norwegian side Tromso. The matches are set for August 20 and 27, with Brighton hosting the second leg. The timing creates a scheduling challenge, as Brighton’s opening league match at home to Aston Villa is scheduled for August 23.
Several Scottish clubs also received their draw results for potential play-off fixtures. Rangers, under manager Derek McInnes, will first face Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok in third-round qualifying this week before potentially advancing to Europa League play-offs. Hearts must overcome Benfica in third-round qualifying before facing potential opponents in the Europa League play-offs. Motherwell could encounter Bundesliga club Freiburg, last season’s Europa League finalists, if they advance past HJK Helsinki. Hibernian may play either IFK Gothenburg or Gent in the Conference League play-offs, contingent on defeating KF Shkendija.
Both Rangers and Hearts have requested postponements of their domestic league matches between potential play-off legs to manage fixture congestion during the qualifying period.
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