HajdukSplit
Registered User
The World Cup naturally is grabbing all the football headlines but in a few days the qualification for the upcoming season's Champions League begins (in fact it has already started with the newly formed preliminary round). This is also the first year of the new UEFA CL format so lesser opportunities for the champions of the "smaller" leagues to qualify with more clubs from the top leagues getting automatic entry
The preliminary round was already played while most of the football world was focused on the World Cup and some history was made there as Kosovar side Drita beat Santa Coloma (Andorra) and Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) to make it to the next round, the first wins for a side from Kosovo in Euro competition. Their reward is a two-leg tie against Malmo
FIRST ROUND (July 10/11 & July 17/18)
Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Shkendija (MKD) vs. The New Saints (WAL)
Suduva (LTU) vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs. Qarabag (AZE)
F91 Dudelange (LUX) vs. Videoton (HUN)
Drita (KOS) vs. Malmo (SWE)
Vikingur (FAR) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Crusaders (NIR)
Cork City (IRL) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Valur (ISL) vs. Rosenborg (NOR)
Kukesi (ALB) vs. Valletta (MLT)
Floria Tallinn (EST) vs. Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR)
Spartaks Jurmala (LVA) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Alashkert (ARM) vs. Celtic (SCO)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) vs. Zrinjki Mostar (BIH)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Sutjeska Niksic (MNE)
SECOND ROUND (July 24/25 & July 31/August 1)
Champions Path
Astana/Sutjeska vs. FC Midtjylland (DEN)
Ludogorets/Crusaders vs. F91 Dudelange/Videoton
Kukesi/Valletta vs. Olimpija/Qarabag
CFR Cluj (ROU) vs. Drita/Malmo
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Flora/Hapoel Beer Sheva
Spartaks/Red Star vs. Suduva/APOEL
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. Vikingur/HJK
Shkendija/TNS vs. Torpedo Kutaisi/Sheriff
Cork/Legia vs. Spartak Trnava/Zrinjski
Alashkert/Celtic vs. Valur/Rosenborg
League Path
PAOK (GRE) vs. FC Basel (SUI)
Ajax (NED) vs. Sturm Graz (AUT)
In the later stages of the competition here are the clubs who will enter...
THIRD ROUND (champions): Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), AEK Athens (GRE)
THIRD ROUND (league path): Benfica (POR), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Fenerbahce (TUR), Spartak Moscow (RUS), Standard Liege (BEL), Slavia Prague (CZE)
PLAYOFF ROUND (champions): PSV Eindhoven (NED), Young Boys (SUI)
Unlike previous seasons where 10 clubs from the qualifying rounds entered the CL, its been reduced to 6 (4 champions + 2 league path)
The preliminary round was already played while most of the football world was focused on the World Cup and some history was made there as Kosovar side Drita beat Santa Coloma (Andorra) and Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) to make it to the next round, the first wins for a side from Kosovo in Euro competition. Their reward is a two-leg tie against Malmo
FIRST ROUND (July 10/11 & July 17/18)
Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Shkendija (MKD) vs. The New Saints (WAL)
Suduva (LTU) vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs. Qarabag (AZE)
F91 Dudelange (LUX) vs. Videoton (HUN)
Drita (KOS) vs. Malmo (SWE)
Vikingur (FAR) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Crusaders (NIR)
Cork City (IRL) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Valur (ISL) vs. Rosenborg (NOR)
Kukesi (ALB) vs. Valletta (MLT)
Floria Tallinn (EST) vs. Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR)
Spartaks Jurmala (LVA) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Alashkert (ARM) vs. Celtic (SCO)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) vs. Zrinjki Mostar (BIH)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Sutjeska Niksic (MNE)
SECOND ROUND (July 24/25 & July 31/August 1)
Champions Path
Astana/Sutjeska vs. FC Midtjylland (DEN)
Ludogorets/Crusaders vs. F91 Dudelange/Videoton
Kukesi/Valletta vs. Olimpija/Qarabag
CFR Cluj (ROU) vs. Drita/Malmo
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Flora/Hapoel Beer Sheva
Spartaks/Red Star vs. Suduva/APOEL
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. Vikingur/HJK
Shkendija/TNS vs. Torpedo Kutaisi/Sheriff
Cork/Legia vs. Spartak Trnava/Zrinjski
Alashkert/Celtic vs. Valur/Rosenborg
League Path
PAOK (GRE) vs. FC Basel (SUI)
Ajax (NED) vs. Sturm Graz (AUT)
In the later stages of the competition here are the clubs who will enter...
THIRD ROUND (champions): Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), AEK Athens (GRE)
THIRD ROUND (league path): Benfica (POR), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Fenerbahce (TUR), Spartak Moscow (RUS), Standard Liege (BEL), Slavia Prague (CZE)
PLAYOFF ROUND (champions): PSV Eindhoven (NED), Young Boys (SUI)
Unlike previous seasons where 10 clubs from the qualifying rounds entered the CL, its been reduced to 6 (4 champions + 2 league path)