Before Monday’s draw for the 3rd preliminary round of the European Conference League, UEFA divided the teams into groups, and the circle of possible opponents for both Czech representatives in the competition was thus narrowed. Slavia can get Panathinaikos Athens, Sparta could possibly face Trnava. But both Prague clubs must first go through the 2nd preliminary round.
In the main phase of the 3rd preliminary round of the European Conference League, UEFA divided the teams into six groups. In three groups there are always four seeded and unseeded, in the other three there are five seeded and unseeded. Most of the teams are in pairs, as the 2nd preliminary round awaits them first. Both Prague clubs will be seeded in the draw.
Slavia has a choice of five variants. On paper, the toughest opponent would be Panathinaikos Athens, who won the Greek Cup and only enter the competition in the 3rd preliminary round. The Czech vice-champion could also get the better of the pairs between Romania’s Sepsi and Olimpija Ljubljana, Albania’s Vllaznia and Romania’s Craiova, Slovenia’s Koper and Vaduz and Moldova’s Petrocub Hincesti and Albania’s Laci. In the preliminary round, the red and whites will start against the Gibraltarian outsider St Joseph’s.
Sparta will receive one of the four pairs in the draw of the 3rd preliminary round. The third team of the past league season can face the winner of the fight between Trnava and Welsh Newtown. The Slovak national team won the domestic cup last year and finished third in the top competition.
On paper, the pair of AIK Stockholm – Poltava would be the most difficult for Letenské. The wards of the new Danish coach Brian Priske could play against the better of the fight between the Icelandic Breidablik and Podgorica and the Scottish Motherwell and the Irish Sligo Rovers. In the 2nd preliminary round, the Spartans will face Viking Stavanger.
Both Prague rivals have to knock out three rivals on their way to the group. Any hesitation means that they will not play in the main stage of the cups in the autumn. The draw for the Europa Conference League will take place on Monday from 14:00 at the Swiss headquarters of UEFA in Nyon.
At noon, they will find out the possible opponent for the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League, Pilsen, which after dividing the teams into two groups, has a choice of three pairs. The Czech champion can meet the winners of the matches Maribor – Šeriff Tiraspol, Linfield – Bodö/Glimt and Pjunik Yerevan – Dudelange. Viktoria must first eliminate HJK Helsinki in the 2nd preliminary round.
From 13:00, the 3rd preliminary round of the European League will be drawn, in which the fate of Slovácko will also be. The winner of the Czech Cup will face the loser of the 2nd preliminary round of the non-championship part of the Champions League – either the worse of the pair Midtjylland – AEK Larnaca or Dynamo Kyiv – Fenerbahçe.
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