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Some of these qualifying rounds are better than the main draw games. Linfield or Drita will never win the whole thing, but to see teams from the lesser countries: Gibraltar, Kosovo, Armenia, Faroe Islands in the qualification rounds are exciting
Also, the draws for the first qualification rounds are set. Those matches will be played August 18-19, all at home venues, with the team listed first hosting the game.
August 18:
Legia Warsaw (POL) hosts the winner between Linfield & Drita
Celtic (SCO) vs. KR Reykjavik (ICE)
Molde (NOR) vs. KuPS (FIN)
Dynamo Brest (BEL) vs. Astana (KAZ)
Red Star Belgrade (SRB) vs. FC Europa (GIB)
Qarabag (AZE) vs. Sileks (NKD)
Sherriff Tiraspol (MDA) vs. Fola Esch (LUX)
August 19:
Floriana (MTA) vs. CFR Cluj (ROU)
Ferencvaros (HUN) vs. Djurgardens (SWE)
Klaksvik (FRO) vs. Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) vs. Riga (LAT)
Celje (SVO) vs. Dundalk (IRE)
Flora (EST) vs. Suduva (LTU)
Ararat-Armenia (ARM) vs. Omonia (CYP)
Buducnost Podgorica (MON) vs. Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
Connah's Quay (WAL) vs. Sarajevo (BOS)
Dinimo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. Tirana (ALB).
The losers will fall into the qualification rounds for the Europa League. Some good clubs ended up here: Celtic made it all the way to the last 16 of this seasons Europa League, Astana made it to the Europa League group stage this past year, I think CFR Cluj made it to the Europa League group stage, Red Star Belgrade made it all the way to this past seasons Champions League group stage, Celje out of Slovenia won their first domestic league title in history beating out mainstays Olympic Ljubljana & Maribor, Qarabag made it all the way to I believe the quarterfinals or semifinals of a Europa League a few seasons back, and Sherriff Tiraspol has been a European regular for some time now.
Legia looked terrible today. They have to play a whole lot better next week or else they'll be dropping down to the Europa League qualifying. Dinamo Brest is probably fortunate that: A) there's no return leg in Kazakhstan and B) Astana hadn't played a competitive game since March. 3 goals was gonna be a lot to make up, but Astana could've easily put 3 on the board in a home legged and squeaked through on away goals. Think any of these first round qualifying teams make the group stage?? Every so often it happens, and usually one or 2 of them end up making the playoff round. I don't really like any of the teams playing Wednesday to make a deep run I'd say CFR Cluj has the best chance of these final remaining qualifying teams, but Celtic & Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) both showed they can make a run to the group stage, while Qarabag is also a candidate though I have a feeling Qarabag will end up dropping out of the Champs League and make the Europa League group stage.
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