UEFA Europa League Play-Off Round draw: Valletta to face Sarajevo or BATE if successful against Astana

The winner of the third qualifying round clash between FC Astana of Kazakhstan and Valletta will be facing the winner of Sarajevo of Bosnia Herzegovina vs BATE Borisov of Belarus in the Play-Off Round of the UEFA Europa League. The draws were held in Nyon on Monday.

Matches will be played on 22 and 29 August with the first leg being played in Astana or Ta’ Qali, depending on who between Astana and Valletta reach the next round.

Sarajevo were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round after losing 2-5 on aggregate to Celtic but were lucky to be awarded a bye in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, therefore moving directly to the third round.

BATE Borisov, on the other hand, eliminated Piast Gliwice of Poland but were eliminated by Rosenborg in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

The 21 tie winners will advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage to join the 17 teams given byes, the four teams defeated in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round league path and the six teams defeated in the UEFA Champions League play-offs.

Valletta left Malta on Monday, destination Kazakhstan, where they take on FC Astana in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round at the Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan on Thursday. The return match will be played at the National Stadium on Thursday 15.

Champions Path

  • M. Tel-Aviv (ISR) or Suduva (LTU) vs GNK Dinamo (CRO) or Ferencváros (HUN)
  • Crvena zvezda (SRB) or København (DEN) vs Riga (LVA) or HJK (FIN)
  • CFR Cluj (ROU) or Celtic (SCO) vs Sheriff (MDA) or AIK (SWE)
  • Ararat-Armenia (ARM) or Saburtalo (GEO) vs Dudelange (LUX) or Kalju (EST)
  • Ludogorets (BUL) or TNS (WAL) vs NK Maribor (SVN) or Rosenborg (NOR)
  • Sutjeska (MNE) or Linfield (NIR) vs APOEL (CYP) or Qarabağ (AZE)
  • Slovan Bratislava (SVK) or Dundalk (IRL) vs PAOK FC (GRE) or AFC Ajax (NED)
  • Astana (KAZ) or Valletta (MLT) vs Sarajevo (BIH) or BATE (BLR)

Main Path

  • Torino (ITA) or Shakhtyor (BLR) vs Pyunik (ARM) or Wolves (ENG)
  • Universitatea Craiova (ROU) or AEK (GRE) vs Sparta Praha (CZE) or Trabzonspor (TUR)
  • Legia (POL) or Atromitos (GRE) vs Midtjylland (DEN) or Rangers (SCO)
  • Feyenoord (NED) or Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs Norrköping (SWE) or H. Beer-Sheva (ISR)
  • FCSB (ROU) or Mladá Boleslav (CZE) vs Ventspils (LVA) or Vitória SC (POR)
  • AEK Larnaca (CYP) or Gent (BEL) vs Rijeka (CRO) or Aberdeen (SCO)
  • Haugesund (NOR) or PSV (NED) vs Austria Wien (AUT) or Apollon (CYP)
  • Luzern (SUI) or Espanyol (ESP) vs CSKA-Sofia (BUL) or Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
  • Partizan (SRB) or Malatyaspor (TUR) vs Molde (NOR) or Aris (GRE)
  • Brøndby (DEN) or Braga (POR) vs Thun (SUI) or Spartak Moskva (RUS)
  • Malmö (SWE) or Zrinjski (BIH) vs Neftçi (AZE) or Bnei Yehuda (ISR)
  • L. Plovdiv (BUL) or Strasbourg (FRA) vs Vaduz (LIE) or Frankfurt (GER)
  • Mariupol (UKR) or AZ Alkmaar (NED) vs Antwerp (BEL) or Plzeň (CZE)