Celtic have been drawn against Austrian title‑holders LASK for a two‑legged tie that will decide whether they progress to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. The first encounter will be played at Celtic Park on either 18 or 19 August, with the return leg scheduled for 25 or 26 August. Should the Scottish side lose the aggregate score, they will not be eliminated from European competition altogether; instead they will drop into the UEFA Europa League group phase, giving them a second chance to continue their continental campaign. In a parallel development, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion have learned that their next European opponent will be either Romanian side CFR Cluj or Norwegian club Tromsø.
The winner of that play‑off will secure a berth in the UEFA Conference League group stage. The two matches are set for 20 and 27 August, with Brighton hosting the decisive second leg. The fixtures are sandwiched around Brighton's domestic opening game against Aston Villa on 23 August, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The play‑off draws for all three UEFA competitions – the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – were confirmed on Monday.
Alongside Celtic and Brighton, several other Scottish clubs received their pathways. Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Larne all found out who they could face in the next round of qualifying.
Rangers, managed by Derek McInnes, travel to Poland for the first leg of their Europa League play‑off against Jagiellonia Bialystok on Thursday, with the return match to be played a week later at Ibrox. If they prevail, the Glasgow side will meet either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgian outfit Iberia 1999 in the subsequent play‑off round. The first leg of that tie is slated for 20 August at Ibrox, with the second leg the following week. Should Larne be defeated, they will be redirected into the Conference League play‑offs where they could face Lincoln Red Imps or Omonia.
Hearts, who dropped into the Europa League after failing to progress in the Champions League qualifiers, have been paired with Danish side AGF Aarhus or Azerbaijani club Sabah for their play‑off. The first leg will be held at Tynecastle Park on 20 August, with the return fixture on 27 August.
However, before reaching that stage Hearts must first overcome Benfica in the third‑round qualifier, a tie that sees them travel to Portugal for the first leg and return home for the second. Both clubs have asked domestic authorities to postpone their league fixtures that fall between the two legs of any potential European play‑off, meaning Rangers' match against St Mirren and Hearts' trip to Falkirk will be rescheduled to avoid fixture congestion.
Motherwell's European adventure continues in the Conference League play‑off round, where they will face German Bundesliga side Freiburg – the runners‑up of last season's Europa League – provided they can beat HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round. Alfred Johansson's Motherwell travel to Helsinki for the first leg on Wednesday, with the second leg at Fir Park on 13 August.
Hibernian have a similar route: they will meet either IFK Gothenburg or Gent in the Conference League play‑off, contingent on defeating KF Shkëndija in the third round. Hibs will host Shkëndija on Thursday, with the decisive second leg on 13 August.
The Conference League play‑offs are slated for 20 and 27 August, while the Champions League and Europa League first legs occur on 18/19 August and the second legs on 25/26 August. A long list of other ties across the three competitions has also been announced, involving clubs from across Europe such as Levski Sofia, Kairat Almaty, AEK Athens, Dinamo Zagreb, Viking, Mjällby, Slovan Bratislava, Ararat‑Armenia, Celje, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Red Star Belgrade, Fenerbahçe, Sturm Graz, Sparta Prague, Lyon, Olympiakos, NEC Nijmegen, Union Saint‑Gilloise, Bodo/Glimt, Trabzonspor, Ferencvaros, Görník Zabrze, KuPS Kuopio, Universitatea Craiova, Sint‑Truiden, Lincoln Red Imps, Omonia, Viktoria Plzeň, Shamrock Rovers, Egântia, Lillestrøm, Pafos, Salzburg, PAOK, Anderlecht, Lech Poznań, KI Klaksvik, Thun, Vikingur Reykjavik, Hradec Králové, Besiktas, OFI Crete, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Sofia, and many others. These match‑ups illustrate the breadth of the UEFA qualifying system and the myriad opportunities for clubs from smaller leagues to test themselves against more established opponents. For Celtic fans, the LASK tie represents a crucial hurdle.
The Austrian side have been impressive in recent European campaigns, boasting a disciplined defensive structure and a knack for scoring on the counter‑attack. Celtic will need to balance attacking flair with defensive solidity to secure a favourable result at home and then protect any advantage in the away leg in Linz. Brighton's play‑off against either CFR Cluj or Tromsø also carries significant weight. CFR Cluj have a strong pedigree in European competition, having reached the Europa League quarter‑finals in recent years, while Tromsø, though less heralded, are known for their physicality and ability to surprise stronger opponents.
Brighton's manager will likely field a side that blends experience with youthful energy, aiming to clinch the second leg at the Amex Stadium and guarantee a place in the Conference League group stage. Overall, the upcoming weeks will see Scottish clubs navigating a complex web of fixtures, travel, and tactical challenges as they strive to secure European football for the 2024‑25 season. Success in these qualifiers not only brings prestige but also vital financial rewards that can support squad development and infrastructure improvements back home.
The outcomes of these ties will shape the narrative of Scottish football on the continental stage for months to come.