Champions League
Runner-up SK Rapid will face NK Lokomotiva Zagreb in the second qualifying round for the Champions League. That was the result of the draw on Monday at the headquarters of the European Football Association (UEFA) in Nyon. The match will take place on either August 25th or 26th. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there is only one game, so overtime and a penalty shoot-out are also possible.
10.08.2020 12.51
Online since today, 12:51 p.m.
(Update: 1:47 p.m.)
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If Rapid loses at the Croatian runner-up, the Europa League qualification continues. In the event of a win, the Hütteldorfer would have at least guaranteed participation in the Europa League group stage, even if they were defeated in the third qualifying round. For the third participation in a Champions League group stage after 1996/97 and 2005/06 Rapid would have to survive three rounds. Only the last one, the play-off, in which champions Red Bull Salzburg will also play, will be decided in the usual way with a return game.
AZ Alkmaar and PAOK Saloniki, the new club of ex-captain Stefan Schwab, would also have been possible opponents of the green-whites set in the draw in the non-champions way. The Dutch meet Viktoria Pilsen, the Greeks against Besiktas Istanbul. Lok Zagreb took second place in the last season of the Croatian league behind city rivals Dinamo Zagreb and lost the cup final against HNK Rijeka. With Petar Gluhakovic there is also an Austrian legionnaire in the squad, the coach is the former Austria-Salzburg player Goran Tomic.
Kühbauer wants to take opponents “seriously”
“Of course we would have liked to have had a home game, but on the other hand you can’t choose anything in this draw,” was the first reaction from coach Dietmar Kühbauer. “We take the opponent as they come,” said sports director Zoran Barisic. “A fairly young team is waiting for us that played attractive football last season and that we will take a closer look at. It will be very challenging because one game will be about everything. “
“Lok Zagreb is a team that had a very good season. If you take Besiktas or PAOK or other teams, for example, these are to be rated higher by name, but it would be fatal on our part if we believe that it will be an easy task, ”said Kühbauer and warned against targeting the opponent to be taken lightly. “We will take someone very seriously who has made it this far in the Croatian championship so that we can get through there. We definitely need a good game, that’s very clear. “
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