Europa League Third Qualifying Round Draw

The Third Round Qualifying Draw was made today with both UCD and Shamrock Rovers being told who their prospective opponents could be if they both overturn defeats from this week’s first legs.

UCD have been handed the one of the farthest trips in the pool, with Russian side FC Krasnodar their opponents if they can overcome Slovan Bratislava in the Belfield Bowl. The Slovakian club were reduced to ten men early on in the first leg but snatched the advantage late on after Adam Zrelak’s deflected effort finally got past the UCD rearguard.

FC Krasnodar, who play close to Russia’s border with Georgia, have reached the Europa League group stages as recently as last season – although strong opponents in Wolfsburg, Everton and Lille saw them finish third. They are not to be confused with local rivals FC Kuban Krasnodar, who play in the stadium as the aforementioned team, who did not qualify for Europe this year after finishing tenth in the league.

It’ll be a return to Scandinavia if Shamrock Rovers can overturn a 2-0 deficit away from home against Norwegian club Odds BK. If successful, their prospective opponents will be either Danish side Randers or Swedish team Elfsborg. Their first leg finished 0-0 in Randers Stadium.

Elfsborg are the more established of the sides in Europe, having appeared in the play-offs for the Europa League group stage last season before being defeated on away goals by Portuguese side Rio Ave.

The season before last, they reached the group stages after being knocked out of the Champions League Qualifying Rounds, 1-0 on aggregate, by Celtic. They finished third in the group after beating a sorry Standard Liegé in the last game.

Elfsborg have previously faced St Patrick’s Athletic in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup, with the Inchicore side triumphing 4-3 on aggregate.

The Hoops played Randers Freja in the 1968 European Cup Winners cup, losing the first leg in Denmark 1-0 and they were defeated in the home leg 2-1 with Johnny Fulham scoring the solitary goal for Rovers.

In a look at the rest of the draw, an interesting tie is the fact that Skonto Riga, who knocked out St. Pat’s, and KR Reykjavik, who toppled Cork City, could face each other if they both get past Debreceni and Rosenborg respectively.

Europa League Third Round Qualifying Draw

FC Zürich (SUI) v PFC Cherno More Varna (BUL)/FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR)

FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ)/Alashkert FC (ARM) v HNK Rijeka (CRO)/Aberdeen FC (SCO)

FC Dacia Chisinau (MDA)/MŠK Žilina (SVK) v FC Vorksla Poltava (UKR)

AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)

FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) v AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)

NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)/ PAOK FC (GRE) v FC Spartak Trnava (SVK)/Linfield FC (NIR)

UC Sampdoria (ITA) v FK Vojvodina (SRB)/FK Spartaks Jurmala (LVA)

FC Slovan Liberec (CZE) v Hapoel Kiryat Shmona FC (ISR)

Athletic Club (ESP) v FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL)/Inter Baki PiK (AZE)

ASA Târgu Mures (ROU) v AS Saint-Étienne (FRA)

FK Kukësi (ALB)/FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE) v Legia Warszawa (POL)/FC Botosani (ROU)

FK Cukaricki (SRB)/Qäbälä FK (AZE) v Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)/FK Trakai (LTU)

FK Jelgava (LVA)/FK Rabotnicki (MKD) v Trabzonspor AS (TUR)/FC Differdange 03 (LUX)

Skonto FC (LVA)/Debreceni VSC (HUN) v KR Reykjavík (ISL)/Rosenborg BK (NOR)

R. Charleroi SC (BEL)/Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISL) v FC Zorya Luhansk (UKR)

FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR)/Wolfsberger AC (AUT) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)

PFC Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL)/Brøndby IF (DEN) v Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL)/AC Omonia (CYP)

FK Jablonec (CZE) v FC København (DEN)/Newtown AFC (WAL)

SK Sturm Graz (AUT) v FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)

AIK Solna (SWE)/FC Shirak (ARM) v Atromitos FC (GRE)

SCR Altach (AUT) v Vitória SC (POR)

Hapoel Beer Sheva FC (ISR)/FC Thun (SUI) v FC Vaduz (LIE)/Nõmme Kalju FC (EST)

Randers FC (DEN)/IF Elfsborg (SWE) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)/Odds BK (NOR)

R. Standard de Liège (BEL) v Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)/FK Željeznicar (BIH)

NK Koper (SVN)/HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) v FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE)/Strømsgodset IF (NOR)

CF Os Belenenses (POR) v WKS Slask Wroclaw (POL)/IFK Göteborg (SWE)

Southampton FC (ENG) v Vitesse (NED)

West Ham United FC (ENG)/Birkirkara FC (MLT) v Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (SCO)/FC Astra Giurgiu (ROU)

FC Krasnodar (RUS) v ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)/University College Dublin AFC (IRL)