Europa League Draw: Dundalk's Prospects Explained

League of Ireland champions Dundalk will learn their travel itinerary for the next three months when the draw for the Europa League groups takes place at 12pm Irish time today.

The Lilywhites' aggregate defeat to Polish champions Legia Warsaw – in spite of a spirited away performance that had them within a goal of forcing extra time until the final moments – meant their Champions League ambitions were ended for the current season at least.

They still have the opportunity to progress in Europe however, as their win over BATE Borisov at the previous hurdle meant they were guaranteed at least a Europa League group berth.

Stephen Kenny's side, as the lowest-ranked side in the competition proper, will be drawn from Pot Four, which includes former European Cup runners-up Panathinaikos as well as West Ham's conquerors Astra.

Pot One includes such Champions League regulars as Manchester United, Internazionale and Shakhtar Donetsk, all of whom the Lilywhites will hope to avoid, while Czech side Viktoria Plzen appears the best draw from a footballing and a beering perspective.

Pot Two includes Sporting Braga – runners-up in 2010 when the Europa League final took place in Dublin – as well as Cork City's Belgian conquerors Genk, Roma and AZ Alkmaar.

Pot Three represents Dundalk's best chance of claiming a European scalp, with Young Boys of Bern, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Slovan Liberec eminently beatable, however the presence of Celta Vigo and Southampton show there are much tougher possibilities.

An ideal draw for the Lilwhites might look something like:

Viktoria Plzen (CZE)

APOEL (CYP)

Young Boys (SUI)

Dundalk (IRL)

The pools in full:

Pot 1
Schalke (GER)
Zenit (RUS)
Manchester United (ENG)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Athletic Club (ESP)
Olympiacos (GRE)
Villarreal (ESP)
Ajax (NED)
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
Fiorentina (ITA)
Anderlecht (BEL)
Viktoria Plze? (CZE)

Pot 2
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Braga (POR)
Salzburg (AUT)
Roma (ITA)
Fenerbahçe (TUR)
Sparta Praha (CZE)
PAOK (GRE)
Steaua Bucure?ti (ROU)
Genk (BEL)
APOEL (CYP)
Standard Liège (BEL)
St-Étienne (FRA)

Pot 3
Gent (BEL)
Young Boys (SUI)
Krasnodar (RUS)
Rapid Wien (AUT)
Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Celta Vigo (ESP)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Feyenoord (NED)
Austria Wien (AUT)
Mainz (GER)
Zürich (SUI)
Southampton (ENG)

Pot 4
Panathinaikos (GRE)
Sassuolo (ITA)
Qaraba? (AZE)
Astana (KAZ)
Nice (FRA)
Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
Konyaspor (TUR)
Osmanl?spor (TUR)
Qäbälä (AZE)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
Dundalk (IRL)