Europa League Third Qualifying Round Draw

By: Dan | July 17th, 2009

It’s only mid-July, but even some big boys are going to have to be fully prepared for competitive football to begin. The draw for the third round of Europa League qualifying took place earlier today.

FK Sarajevo/Spartak Trnava v. Zestaponi/Helsingborg
Fredrikstad FV v. Lech Poznan
Differdange/HNK Rijeka v. Metalist Kharkiv
Naftan/KAA Gent v. AS Roma
SC Vaslui v. Omonia/HB
Aalborg BK/Slavija Sarajevo v. MFK Kosice
IFK Goteborg v. Hapoel Tel Aviv
PSV Eindhoven v. Cherno More/Iskra-Stali
Metalurh Donetsk/MTZ-RIPO v. NK IB Ljubljana
Valarenga v. PAOK
APOP v. Rapid Vienna/Vllaznia
Honka/Bangor City v. Rosenborg/Qarabag
Falkirk/Vaduz v. Slovan Liberec
St. Patrick’s/Valletta v. Krylya Sovetov
Suduva/Randers v. Hamburg SV
Dinamo Minsk/Tromso v. Milano/Slaven Belupo
Brondby/Flora v. Legia Warsaw/Olimpi Rustavi
Vojvodina v. Austria Vienna
CSKA Sofia v. Skonto/Derry City
Steaua Bucharest/Ujpest v. Flamurtari/Motherwell
MSK Zilina/Dacia Chisinau v. Hadjuk Split
SC Braga v. Elfsborg/Haladas
Aberdeen v. Sigma Olomouc/Fram
Rabotnicki/Crusaders v. Odense BK
Kaunas/Sevojno v. Lille Metropole
Anorthosis/Petrovac v. Sturm Graz/Siroki Brijeg
Fenerbahce v. Budapest Honved
Bnei Yehuda/Dinaburg v. Pacos de Ferreira/Zimbru Chisinau
Club Brugge v. Gorica/Lahti
Athletic Club Bilbao v. BSC Young Boys
KR/Larissa v. Basel/Santa Coloma
Tobol/Galatasaray v. Sliema Wanderers/Maccabi Netanya
Liepajas Metalurgs/Dinamo Tbilisi v. Rudar Velenje/Red Star Belgrade
Polonia Warsaw/Juvenes-Dogana v. NAC Breda/Gandzasar
Vetra/HJK Helsinki v. Fulham

IFK Goteborg must be extremely irritated at being handed a trip to Israel to face potentially dangerous opponents Hapoel Tel Aviv. Likewise, Club Brugge and Austria Vienna face trips to the former Yugoslavia (albeit a potential trip in Brugge’s case, as Gorica’s aggregate lead over Finland’s Lahti is only 1-0,) that are not the kindest results that the draw had to offer.

Other famous names like PSV, Bilbao, Hamburg, Steaua Bucharest, Roma, and CSKA Sofia will be glad to have been drawn against manageable opponents.

There are two Cyprus/Austria ties possible. As long as Rapid Vienna, Anorthosis and Sturm Graz hold on to their first leg advantages, Rapid will meet APOP and Anorthosis and Sturm Graz will play each other in the next round.

Overall, there are some very interesting ties to be played. The way the competition takes shape is going to be influenced significantly by the performance of the Eastern European sides. It’s far too early to make definite predictions, but what’s the point of having the internet if we can’t eventually find out whether or not Sigma Olomouc are going to be big trouble for Aberdeen.