Austria’s top football clubs have learned their potential paths through the final European qualification hurdles following draws conducted by UEFA in Nyon, setting up high-stakes fixtures across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League brackets.
The latest UEFA draws outline definitive paths for Austrian clubs competing on the continental stage, balancing challenging matchups for title contenders against more manageable pairings for clubs fighting through the preliminary rounds.
SK Rapid Prepares for Paide and Play-Off Scenarios
According to reports from Kurier, SK Rapid must first navigate their third qualifying round tie against Estonian side Paide Linnameeskond. Should Rapid advance past Paide, the club will face the loser of the Europa League qualification tie between Portuguese powerhouse Benfica and Scottish side Heart of Midlothian in the Conference League play-offs.
Reporting by Laola1 highlights that Heart of Midlothian recently crossed paths with Austrian opposition in continental qualification, having been eliminated by Sturm Graz in the Champions League preliminary rounds with a combined 6-0 aggregate score. Play-off fixtures are scheduled for August 20 and August 27, with Rapid slated to play the first leg away from home before hosting the decisive return leg in Vienna.
FK Austria Wien Targets Beitar Jerusalem and Subsequent Hurdles
FK Austria Wien enters the third qualifying round of the Conference League against Israeli club Beitar Jerusalem, with the first leg scheduled for Thursday, according to match reports. If the Vienna club overcomes Beitar, they will face the winner of the tie between Portuguese side SC Braga and Belarus club Dinamo Minsk in the play-offs.
Similar to their city rivals, the “Veilchen” would play the opening leg of any potential play-off matchup away from home on August 20, followed by the second leg on August 27.
FC Salzburg Navigation in Europa League and Conference League Paths
FC Salzburg currently campaigns in the UEFA Europa League qualification bracket, where they face Cypriot side FC Pafos in the third qualifying round. According to tournament regulations outlined by Kurier and Laola1, a victory over Pafos moves Salzburg into the Europa League play-off round to face the loser of the tie between Sweden’s Mjällby and Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava.
Should Salzburg stumble against Pafos in the third round, they will drop down to the Conference League play-offs. In that scenario, records show they would face a favorable pairing against either Latvian club FK Auda or Albanian side Dinamo City, with the second leg hosted in Salzburg.
LASK and Sturm Graz Face Steep Champions League Tests
Domestic champions LASK booked a direct path to the Champions League play-off round, where they will square off against Scottish powerhouse Celtic Glasgow for a spot in the lucrative league phase. The first leg takes place away on August 18 or 19, with the return fixture scheduled for August 25 or 26 in Linz.
Meanwhile, league runners-up Sturm Graz face a rigorous third qualifying round test against Turkish giants Fenerbahçe. According to match schedules, the winner advances to face the victor of the pairing between Sparta Prag and Olympique Lyon, with the potential first leg hosted in Graz. Clubs failing to advance in the Champions League paths maintain safety nets in the league phases of the secondary European competitions.
Fans and clubs turn their immediate attention to this week’s third-round first legs before the European play-off schedules kick off later in August.
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