Celtic have been drawn against Austrian title‑holders LASK in the Champions League qualifying round, a tie that will determine whether the Glasgow side progresses to the group stage of Europe’s premier competition or drops into the Europa League. Meanwhile, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion will meet either Romanian champions CFR Cluj or Norwegian outfit Tromsø in the play‑off round of the UEFA Conference League, with a place in that tournament’s group phase at stake.
The draws for the play‑off stages of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League were all conducted on Monday. In addition to Celtic and Brighton, several other Scottish clubs learned the paths they must navigate to remain in Europe this season. Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Larne all received their opponents for the upcoming qualifying rounds. Celtic’s manager Martin O'Neill will host the first leg of the LASK tie on either 18 or 19 August, with the return fixture scheduled for 25 or 26 August.
The two‑legged affair offers a safety net: the loser of the tie will not be eliminated from European competition altogether but will instead fall into the Europa League group stage, preserving a valuable continental campaign for the club. Brighton, who finished eighth in the Premier League last term, will have to navigate a two‑match showdown against either CFR Cluj or Tromsø to secure a berth in the Conference League group stage. The first leg is set for 20 August, with the decisive second leg on 27 August. Brighton will host the second leg, allowing them to play the return match at the Amex Stadium after their opening league fixture against Aston Villa on 23 August, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Rangers, under Derek McInnes, learned that they will travel to Poland to face Jagiellonia Białystok in the first leg of their Europa League play‑off on Thursday, with the return leg scheduled for the following week. Should Rangers triumph, they will then be drawn against either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgian side Iberia 1999 in the next round. The first leg of that tie would be played at Ibrox on 20 August, with the second leg a week later.
If Larne were to lose their play‑off, they would drop into the Conference League play‑offs and could be matched with either Lincoln Red Imps or Omonia. Hearts, who slipped into the Europa League after exiting the Champions League, have been paired with Danish side AGF Aarhus or Azerbaijani club Sabah in their play‑off round. The first leg will take place at Tynecastle Park on 20 August, with the return leg on 27 August. However, Hearts must first overcome Benfica in the third‑round qualifier, a match that will be played away in Portugal on Thursday, with the second leg at home the following week.
If Hearts fail to progress in the Europa League, they will still have a lifeline in the Conference League play‑offs, where they could face either Paide or SK Rapid. Both Rangers and Hearts have requested that their domestic league fixtures scheduled between the two legs of any potential play‑off be postponed.
Consequently, Rangers’ match against St Mirren and Hearts’ trip to Falkirk will be rearranged to accommodate the European schedule. Motherwell have a chance to face Bundesliga side SC Freiburg – the club that reached the Europa League final last season – in the Conference League play‑off round, provided they defeat HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round. Motherwell travel to Helsinki on Wednesday for the first leg, with the return leg at Fir Park on 13 August. Hibernian’s path leads them to a potential clash with either IFK Gothenburg or Gent in the Conference League play‑offs, should they overcome KF Shkëndija.
Hibs will host Shkëndija on Thursday, with the second leg scheduled for 13 August, aiming to secure a place in the play‑off round that takes place on 20 and 27 August. The broader schedule for the Conference League play‑offs is as follows: first‑leg matches on 18 and 19 August, with second‑leg fixtures on 25 and 26 August for those ties that began earlier, while the remaining play‑offs will have first legs on 20 August and second legs on 27 August. A long list of pairings across Europe has been announced, featuring clubs from a wide range of leagues: - Levski Sofia or Kairat Almaty versus AEK Athens - Dinamo Zagreb or Kauno Žalgiris against Viking FK - Mjällby or Slovan Bratislava versus Ararat-Armenia or Celje - Hapoel Be'er Sheva or Red Star Belgrade against AGF Aarhus or Sabah - Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz versus Sparta Prague or Lyon - Olympiakos or NEC Nijmegen against Union Saint‑Gilloise, Bodø/Glimt - Trabzonspor versus Ferencvár or Görník Zabrze - KuPS Kuopio or Universitatea Craiova versus Ararat-Armenia or Celje - Sint‑Truidense versus Lincoln Red Imps or Omonia - Hapoel Be'er Sheva or Red Star Belgrade versus Viktoria Plzeň - Shamrock Rovers or Egnatia versus Lillestrøm - Jagiellonia Białystok or Rangers versus Larne or Iberia 1999 Tbilisi - Mjällby or Slovan Bratislava versus Pafos or Salzburg - Levski Sofia or Kairat Almaty versus PAOK or Anderlecht - Lech Poznań or KI Klaksvik versus Thun or Vikingur Reykjavik - Hradec Králové or Beşiktaş versus Dinamo Zagreb or Kauno Žalgiris - Benfica or Hearts versus AGF Aarhus or Sabah - OFI Crete versus Maccabi Tel Aviv or CSKA Sofia - ... and many more match‑ups across the continent.
These fixtures illustrate the depth and diversity of the UEFA competition landscape, offering clubs from smaller leagues the chance to test themselves against more established sides. For Celtic and Brighton, the upcoming weeks will be crucial in defining their European journeys for the 2024‑25 season. Celtic will aim to secure a historic group‑stage berth in the Champions League, while Brighton will look to add another European campaign to their résumé via the Conference League. Both clubs, along with their Scottish counterparts, will need to balance domestic commitments with the rigours of continental travel, ensuring squad rotation and tactical preparation are finely tuned.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports, with the option to stream matches via the Sky Sports app. Those without a Sky subscription can still gain instant access through Sky’s no‑contract offers, ensuring that the excitement of European football reaches a broad audience across the United Kingdom. In summary, the draw has set the stage for an intense period of qualifying football. Celtic’s showdown with LASK, Brighton’s battle against either CFR Cluj or Tromsø, and the myriad of other Scottish clubs’ fixtures all point to a summer filled with high‑stakes matches that will shape the continental landscape for the coming season.