Celtic have been paired with Austrian champions 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 staged at Celtic Park on either 18 or 19 August, with the return leg scheduled for 25 or 26 August. Should the Glasgow side lose, they will not be eliminated from European competition altogether; the defeated team drops straight into the Europa League group phase, preserving a valuable continental campaign. In a parallel development, Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion have learned that their next European challenge will be a play‑off in the UEFA Conference League.
The Seagulls will face either Romanian outfit CFR Cluj or Norwegian side Tromsø in a two‑match showdown that will determine who reaches the Conference League group stage. The first leg is set for 20 August, while the decisive second leg will be played on 27 August, with Brighton hosting the latter fixture. This timing slots neatly around Brighton's domestic opener against Aston Villa on 23 August, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The draws for the play‑off rounds of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League were all conducted on Monday, providing a clear picture of the routes that several Scottish clubs must navigate.
Rangers, Hearts, Hibernian, Motherwell and Larne have also been informed of their potential opponents and the dates on which they will compete. Rangers, under the guidance of Derek McInnes, travel to Poland for the first leg of their Europa League play‑off against Jagiellonia Białystok on Thursday, with the return match to be held the following week at Ibrox. If the Glasgow side triumphs, they will meet either Northern Irish champions Larne or Georgian club Iberia 1999 in the subsequent play‑off round, with the first leg scheduled for 20 August at Ibrox and the second leg a week later.
Should Larne be defeated in that tie, they will be redirected into the Conference League play‑offs, where they could face Lincoln Red Imps or Omonia. Hearts, having dropped into the Europa League after a Champions League exit, have been drawn against Danish side AGF Aarhus or Azerbaijani club Sabah in their play‑off. The first leg will take place at Tynecastle Park on 20 August, with the return leg on 27 August.
However, Hearts must first overcome a daunting third‑round tie against Benfica, playing the first leg away in Portugal on Thursday and the second leg at home the following week. If Hearts fail to progress past Benfica, they will still have a safety net: a place in the Conference League play‑offs, where they could be drawn against either Paide or Rapid Vienna.
Both clubs have requested that their domestic fixtures be rearranged to accommodate the European schedule. Rangers' league match against St Mirren and Hearts' away game at Falkirk will be moved to avoid a clash with the potential play‑off dates. Motherwell have a clear path to the Conference League play‑offs as well.
They will host HJK Helsinki in the third qualifying round on Wednesday, with the second leg at Fir Park on 13 August. Victory would set up a clash with German Bundesliga side Freiburg – the runners‑up in last season's Europa League – in the Conference League play‑offs. Hibernian's route mirrors that of Motherwell.
The Edinburgh club will host KF Shkëndija on Thursday, with the return leg on 13 August. Progressing past Shkëndija would see Hibs drawn against either IFK Göteborg or Gent for a place in the Conference League group stage. The Conference League play‑offs themselves are slated for 20 and 27 August, with first legs on the earlier dates and second legs a week later. A long list of match‑ups has been published, covering clubs from across the continent.
Some of the highlighted pairings include: - 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 - Fenerbahçe or Sturm Graz against Sparta Prague or Lyon - Olympiacos or NEC Nijmegen versus Union Saint‑Gilloise or Bodø/Glimt - Trabzonspor versus Ferencváros or Górnik Zabrze - Sint‑Truiden versus Lincoln Red Imps or Omonia - Shamrock Rovers or Egnatia versus Lillestrøm - Jagiellonia Białystok or Rangers versus Larne or Iberia 1999 Tbilisi - Lech Poznań or KI Klaksvík versus Thun or Vikingur Reykjavík - Benfica or Hearts versus AGF Aarhus or Sabah - CFR Cluj or Tromsø versus Brighton & Hove Albion - Panathinaikos or CSKA 1948 versus Hradec Králové or Beşiktaş - Atalanta versus Hapoel Tel Aviv or Katowice - Bohemians or Midtjylland versus Rijeka or Ilves These fixtures illustrate the breadth of competition that clubs from Scotland, England, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Romania and many other nations will face as they strive to secure a place in Europe's secondary and tertiary tournaments. The scheduling of the play‑offs ensures that all clubs have a clear window to complete their qualifying campaigns before the regular season fully ramps up, while also offering a safety net: teams eliminated from a higher‑tier qualifier are given a second chance in the next tier.
For fans, the upcoming weeks promise a flurry of high‑stakes matches, both at home and abroad. Supporters can follow the action live on Sky Sports, which will also stream the games via its app for those without a traditional subscription.
The excitement of European qualification, the prospect of facing unfamiliar opponents, and the financial rewards that accompany group‑stage participation all add to the intensity of this period for clubs across the British Isles and the wider continent.