Here are the 2nd round qualifying games and our future potential opponents:
Ekranas v Dinamo Zagreb
Sheriff v Spartak Moskva
Debrecen v Rabotnicki
Gorica v Steaua
København v MyPa
Mladá Boleslav v Vålerenga
Djurgården v Ružomberok
Hafnarfjördur v Legia
Zürich v Salzburg
Fenerbahçe v B36
Hearts v Široki Brijeg
Metalurgs v Dynamo Kyiv
Cork v Crvena Zvezda
Levski v Sioni
Now from the teams listed above, we can't play Steaua, Dinamo Kyiv or Levski, or a team that knocks them out in the 2nd Round because they will be seeded in the draw along with us.
There are obviously other teams that come in at the 3rd Qualifying Round stage who will be unseeded and we could possibly meet. These are:
Austria Wien
Osasuna
Chievo Verona (subject to Italian FA appeals)
Maccabi Haifa
Standard Liege
The draw for the actual group stages will then take place on August 24th.
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Personally, it doesn't worry me too much who we end up playing in the third qualifying round. From the looks of it, Osasuna would probably be the hardest draw of the lot, whilst a trip to eastern Europe is always low on the priority list.
Also, imagine what Istanbul-Fenerbache would think if we drew Fenerbache.
We've had a history of making things hard for ourselves under Rafa in CL third round qualifiers. Infact we've lost both of the second legs at home but have done enough in the first legs to progress against AK Graz and CSKA Sofia. Here's hoping for an easier path this season.
Bring on Cork.
bring em on.
