NYON, Switzerland — The road to the UEFA Champions League group stage gained further clarity on Wednesday as UEFA conducted the draw for the second qualifying round of the competition. A mix of established clubs and rising challengers from across Europe now know their next opponents.
League Path
First leg: July 22–23
Brann (Norway) will host Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg in a clash that promises energy and intensity from both sides. Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic take on Swiss contenders Servette, while Rangers (Scotland) face a tricky tie against Greek giants Panathinaikos.
Second leg: July 29–30
The return fixtures will flip the venues as Salzburg welcome Brann, Servette play at home against Viktoria Plzen, and Panathinaikos host Rangers in what could be a decisive encounter in Athens.
Champions Path
First leg: July 22–23
The Champions Path opens with several matchups still dependent on first-round outcomes. Levadia Tallinn (Estonia) or RFS (Latvia) will face the winner between Iberia (Georgia) and Malmo (Sweden). Zalgiris (Lithuania) or Hamrun Spartans (Malta) will meet Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine).
In other confirmed ties, Pafos (Cyprus) meet Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel), and Vikingur (Faeroe Islands) or Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) will host Red Star Belgrade (Serbia). Armenian side Noah or Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) will face Ferencvaros (Hungary), and Lech Poznan (Poland) take on either Egnatia (Albania) or Breidablik (Iceland).
Copenhagen (Denmark) face either Drita (Kosovo) or Differdange (Luxembourg), while Rijeka (Croatia) will battle the winner of Ludogorets (Bulgaria) and Dinamo Minsk (Belarus).
The final two first-leg fixtures will see either The New Saints (Wales) or Shkëndija (North Macedonia) play FCSB (Romania) or Inter Club d’Escaldes (Andorra), and Shelbourne (Ireland) or Linfield (Northern Ireland) come up against Qarabag (Azerbaijan). KuPS Kuopio (Finland) or Milsami Orhei (Moldova) will challenge the winner of Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) or Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan).
Second leg: July 29–30
The reverse legs will feature Iberia or Malmo at home against Levadia Tallinn or RFS. Dynamo Kyiv host Zalgiris or Hamrun Spartans, while Maccabi Tel Aviv will be at home against Pafos.
Red Star Belgrade return to Belgrade to complete their tie against Vikingur or Lincoln Red Imps. Ferencvaros will host either Noah or Buducnost Podgorica in Hungary.
In the remaining matches, Egnatia or Breidablik will visit Lech Poznan, Drita or Differdange head to Denmark for the second leg against Copenhagen, and Ludogorets or Dinamo Minsk travel to Croatia to face Rijeka.
FCSB or Inter Club d’Escaldes will host The New Saints or Shkëndija, while Virtus (San Marino) or Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) will face Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia).
Qarabag will host the return leg against either Shelbourne or Linfield, and the tie between Olimpija Ljubljana or Kairat Almaty and KuPS or Milsami Orhei will conclude with the Slovenian or Kazakh side at home.
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