Possible opponents for Maltese clubs in UEFA Champions League, Europa League draws

Champions Valletta, runners-up Hibernians, third-placed Gzira United and FA Trophy winners Balzan are eager to know their opponents in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League Preliminary Round draws are expected to be held on June 11. The UEFA Champions League first and second qualifying round draws and UEFA Europa League second qualifying round draw (champions path) will be held on June 18 while the UEFA Europa League first and second qualifying round draws (main path) will be held on June 19.

With a ranking of 4.25, Valletta are expected to be among the unseeded teams in the UEFA Champions League First Qualifying Round. Possible opponents for Valletta are Celtic (SCO), BATE Borisov (BLR), FK Astana (KAZ), Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), Garabag Agdam (AZE), NK Maribor (SLO), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Sheriff Tiraspol (MOL), Rosenborg BK (NOR), HJK Helsinki (FIN), Dundalk (IRE), F91 Dudelange (LUX), Shkendija Tetovo (MAC), The New Saints (WAL), Slovan Bratislava (SVK) and AIK Stockholm (SWE).

First qualifying round matches will be played on July 9/10 and July 16/17.

Should they qualify, they would move to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League while in case of elimination, they would take part in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round (champions path).

Meanwhile with a ranking of 1.025, Gzira United should start in the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Europa League, therefore avoiding the Preliminary Round. Gzira will be unseeded like Hibernians and Balzan who have a ranking of 2.5 and 2.25 respectively.

Possible opponents for Gzira, Hibernians and Balzan are:
Legia Warsaw (Pol), FCSB (Rom), Malmö FF (Swe), Molde FK (Nor), Apollon Limassol (Cyp), Hapoel Beer-Sheva (Isr), Dinamo Minsk (Bls), Spartak Trnava (Svk), AEK Larnaca (Cyp), Hajduk Split (Cro), Brøndby IF (Den), Zalgiris Vilnius (Lit), Aberdeen (Sco), Glasgow Rangers (Sco), Zrinjski Mostar (Bos), Kairat Almaty (Kaz), FK Kukësi (Alb), Alashkert FC (Arm), Radnicki Nis (Srb), Cukaricki Belgrade (Srb), Kilmarnock (Sco), Shakhtior Saligorsk (Bls), FC Vitebsk (Bls), NK Domzale (Slo), Crusaders Belfast (Nir), FK Ventspils (Lat), Stjarnan FC (Isl), IFK Norrköping (Swe), FK Haugesund (Nor), SK Brann Bergen (Nor), CS Fola Esch (Lux), FC Vaduz (Lie), Tobol Kustanai (Kaz), Ordabasy Shymkent (Kaz), Cracovia Kraków (Pol), Neftchi Baku (Azb), Sabail FK (Azb), Olimpija Ljubljana (Slo), Cork City (Irl), Dinamo Tbilisi (Geo), Maccabi Haifa (Isr), CSKA Sofia (Bul), Levski Sofia (Bul), FK Trakai (Lit), Buducnost Podgorica (Mon) and Levadia Tallinn (Est).

First qualifying round matches are scheduled for July 11 and 18 while the second qualifying round will be played on July 25 and August 1.