Europa League Playoff Round Preview

The UEFA Europa League is at the final stage of qualification with the playoff round set to start. Two dozen teams are looking to claim the final places in the competition's league phase, which will start in September. In comparison to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League, the UEL playoff may not seem as exciting. However, getting past this stage guarantees eight more matches (versus six in the UECL) and, in most cases, higher quality opposition.

The next two Thursdays will determine the 12 successful teams to be in the league phase draw on 28 August. Here is a preview of the ties in this round.

Country Duos Look For Success

Three nations will have multiple sides in the UEL playoff stage. For Belgium, direct entrants Sint-Truiden take on Omonoia Nicosia. It is a first participation in a major UEFA club competition for De Kanaries, who claimed third spot in the league last term. They will face an Omonoia side that have lost five of six two-legged ties against Belgian clubs in Europe. Their only success came in this round four years ago against Gent.

RSC Anderlecht are Belgium's other representatives in this round as they will battle Kairat Almaty. In the Europa League era, the Brussels-based side have never been eliminated in the playoff round of the competition. They will be expected to keep that going against a Kairat club who lost 4-0 at home to Club Brugge in the UCL league phase last term.

Turkish Cup winners Trabzponspor have a fascinating clash against Hungarian regulars Ferencváros. The pair met in the group stage back in 2022/23, with the home side coming out on top across both matches. Since that season, Trabzonspor have not reached the group phase in Europe. For Fradi, they have a 5-2-2 record overall against Turkish clubs, and have progressed from all three previous UEL playoff ties.

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Beşiktaş make up the other Turkish contingent in this round as they face Kauno Žalgiris of Lithuania. This will be Kara Kartallar's first test against a Baltic side in what is expected to be a lopsided tie. Beşiktaş were beaten at this stage of the Conference League last term, making it the first time they lost in the last qualifying round of any European competition since 2014/15. Kauno became the second team from their country to secure group phase football, and could be the first to play in the UEL proper.

Poland also have two teams in this round, as Lech Poznań faces off against Thun. Last season's Ekstraklasa winners are nearing a fourth appearance in the UEL proper, should they see off their Swiss opposition. They did defeat Lausanne-Sport in the Conference League last fall en route to a round of 16 showing. As for Thun, they are in a UEFA club competition for the sixth time in their history. In each of their participations, they have played at some stage of the UEFA Cup or Europa League.

As for Jagiellonia Białystok, their playoff round opponent are Georgian outfit Iberia 1999. This will be the second occasion where Jaga are paired with a side from Georgia, having beaten Dinamo Batumi home and away in the first qualifying round nine years ago. This is their joint-best UEL performance, having played in this round two years ago. Iberia are Georgia's second group phase participants, and are hoping to match DInamo Tbilisi's accomplishment of making the group stage 22 years ago - albeit in the old UEFA Cup.

Tie of the Round: Crvena zvezda vs Viktoria Plzeň

Two established names in the European circle, Crvena zvezda and Viktoria Plzeň, square off in what should be a fascinating two legs.

Serbia's record champions made the knockout round playoffs in the UEL last term, losing to Lille. They are looking to play in the group phase for the sixth time under the tournament's current guise. In eight previous games against Czech sides, Red Star are 4-1-3, winning their last three at home. Their UCL elimination to Hapoel Be'er Sheva marked the first time in almost two decades where they did not score in a two-legged qualifier.

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Plzeň are two games away from playing in the UEL league phase for the third year running. They are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run in Europa League play, though they only won thrice in that time. With that said, they hold a strong 3-1-0 record versus clubs from Serbia, having beaten Vojvodina in this round 11 years ago. In playoff round football, they have prevailed from each of their last three ties.

Hopeful Debutants Look for Splash

Many of the ties in this Europa League playoff round feature teams trying to make the group stage/league phase of the competition for the first time. CS Universitatea Craiova and Ararat-Armenia are two of those sides. The Romanians reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup back in 1982/83, marking their best-ever European performance. They will battle an Ararat team looking to make history for their country and become the first side from Armenia to make it to the group phase of the UEL.

Albania's Egnatia impressed in the third qualifying round, with their reward being a date with Lillestrøm. Both teams will enjoy European football in the autumn for the first time. Before this season, neither had made it farther than the third qualifying round under the current set-up. Lillestrøm have won just once in their last 10 continental away matches, losing six times during that stretch. As for Egnatia, they have won at least one leg in seven of the nine ties all-time - the other two they drew both legs.

Former finalists Benfica are up against AGF Aarhus of Denmark, with the Portuguese side expected to advance. Facing AGF has been a positive sign for As Águias historically: on both previous occasions, Benfica knocked out the Danish club en route to making a European final. Overall, the Lisbon-based club are 14-2-0 against Danish opposition. The 1960/61 meeting between the two sides is AGF's best performance in a UEFA club competition, as their UCL win over Lech was the first time they triumphed in a two-legged tie since 1997.

Mjällby are set to take on one of the most experienced Europa League teams in RB Salzburg. Making their continental debut, Mjällby are aiming to become the seventh different club from Sweden to make the group stage/league phase of the UEL in the modern era. In contrast, Salzburg making the league phase would see them become just the sixth side to do so on 10 or more occasions. It would also make them the Austrian side with the most appearances.

The cup winners of Greece and Bulgaria do battle as OFI and CSKA Sofia face off. The side from Crete last won a European match in the 2000/01 season against Napredak. They also qualified for the UEL six years ago, but lost in a one-off match versus Apollon Limassol. CSKA are one of two teams to have made it this far from the first qualifying round, and should they get past their Greek opponents, it would be the second time they made the UEL proper all the way from the first round.