Things are heating up in UEFA Europa League qualifying, as we have now reached the third qualifying round. July did not disappoint, with some interesting results in the opening two rounds. Now, the focus for the 26 teams involved in the penultimate stage is simple: secure a league phase spot. That can be done if they successfully negotiate these two-legged series.
The Deck previews all 13 ties to occur over the next two weeks. We will also predict which 13 clubs will advance to the playoff round, played at the end of the month.
UEFA Europa League: Third Qualifying Round
Champions Path: Huge Opportunity for the Dozen
Lincoln Red Imps and FC Noah, both looking for a second league phase appearance, will do battle. It is the second year in a row that the Red Imps will feature in UEL Q3, losing 3-2 on aggregate to Dinamo Minsk last term. They have faced Armenian opposition before, with Ararat-Armenia eliminating them in Q2 of the competition six years ago. For Noah, they have won just once in their last nine European matches (1-2-6). Their only previous match in the Europa League came in the 2020/21 campaign, where they lost 4-1 to Kairat Almaty in a one-off Q1 tie. Prediction: FC Noah
Rijeka will fancy their chances at a group phase return four years on from their previous showing, but will have to get past Shelbourne first. The Croats also partook in this round last summer, though Elfsborg took them out. This will be their first crack at an Irish team in a major UEFA club competition. The Shels are one successful tie away from becoming the third different club from their nation to make a group phase. They got the better of Hajduk Split 4-3 on aggregate in the Champions League 21 years ago. That season was arguably their best-ever European journey. Prediction: Rijeka
A great opportunity awaits RFS and KuPS Kuopio, who fill meet in what looks to be a very interesting tie. The defending Latvian champs narrowly lost to HJK in UCL Q1 three years ago, but will have belief that they can make the UEL proper for the second year running. They prevailed 9-0 over two legs versus UE Santa Coloma at this stage a year ago. KuPS will be in a playoff round for the third time in their club history, regardless of the result. The previous time they did so in the Europa League was when they knocked off another Baltic club, Sūduva, back in 2020. Prediction: KuPS Kuopio
Ħamrun Spartans battles Maccabi Tel Aviv in their UEL Q3 tie. This is just the second time that the Maltese outfit will play in the Europa League, with their only other appearance coming four decades ago back when the competition was known as the UEFA Cup. They failed to score in their first round exit against Dinamo Tirana. Maccabi Haifa beat them 6-1 on aggregate in UCL qualifying two summers ago. Maccabi has won three of four previous matches versus teams from Malta. In fact, their maiden tie in a UEFA club competition came against Valletta FC in 1992/93, when they won 3-2 on aggregate. Prediction: Maccabi Tel Aviv
A second league phase showing is on the line for Zrinjski Mostar and Breiðablik, who face off. The Bosnians secured group phase football for the first time at the expense of their opponents at this very stage back in 2023/24 with a 6-3 aggregate success. They will certainly be hoping for a repeat showing this time around. It is the fifth time that Breiðablik has gotten this far in a UEFA club competition. Unfortunately for them, despite also featuring in the UECL proper the same year as Zrinjski, they have never won a third qualifying round tie. Prediction: Zrinjski Mostar
Following a shock Champions League elimination, FCSB will aim to avoid further disappointment against Drita. The Romanian champions did get past the playoff round in this competition last August, defeating LASK 2-1 overall. This will be their maiden European matches against a side from Kosovo. For Drita, this is their second time entering UEL Q3. This comes five years on from their 2-0 defeat against Legia Warszawa. They are aiming to be the second Kosovan club to reach a group phase after Ballkani. Prediction: FCSB
Main Path: Coefficient Clashes Highlight Fascinating Round
Three years on from their last Europa League appearance, AEK Larnaca faces Legia Warszawa. The Cypriot Cup winners have enjoyed much success in UEL Q3 historically, progressing in five of the previous seven showings. That includes their last participation back in 2022/23, when they knocked off Partizan Belgrade. Legia has not always had it easy versus teams from Cyprus. They did, however, win their last match, which came in the Conference League proper at Omonoia Nicosia. Surprisingly, they have won two of their three previous away matches against Cypriot opposition. Prediction: Legia Warszawa
One of two all-Nordic clashes in the round sees Fredrikstad take on FC Midtjylland. Since prevailing in their maiden European tie against Ajax some 65 years ago, the Norwegians have since failed to progress in any of their subsequent eight continental seasons. Their last appearance in a UEFA club competition came in 2009/10, when they lost 7-3 on aggregate to Lech Poznań. This will be Midtjylland’s first meeting with a Norwegian club in a UEFA club competition. The Danes have become regular fixtures in the Europa League of late, making the group phase in three of the last four seasons. Prediction: Midtjylland
Two teams who survived challenging second qualifying round ties, CFR Cluj and Sporting Braga, square off. This is a rematch from the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage, where the Romanian outfit prevailed in both games. Since making consecutive UEL group phase showings in 2018/19 and again the following season, Ceferiștii have not returned to that stage. Braga will be looking for their 10th appearance in the UEL group phase, which would see them go level with PSV Eindhoven and potentially a few others for second all-time behind Lazio’s 11. Prediction: Sporting Braga
PAOK Thessaloniki battles Wolfsberg in what is a huge clash from a coefficient perspective. This will be the sixth time PAOK enters UEL Q3, progressing in all five of their previous attempts. They own a 3-3-4 record against Austrian teams, as they lost at the playoff round to Rapid Wien 4-2 on aggregate back in 2012/13. In what is their fourth European campaign, Wolfsberg has never reached a group phase via the qualifying rounds. They last appeared in Europe back in 2022/23, when they lost to Molde in the UECL playoff round. Prediction: Wolfsberg
Servette will hope to bounce back from Champions League elimination as they take on Utrecht. It has been 37 years since the Swiss club last faced Dutch opposition, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Groningen in the second round of the 1988/89 UEFA Cup. Last summer, they fell at this stage to Braga, before defeat to eventual champions Chelsea in the UECL playoff round. Utrecht’s only previous tie with clubs from Switzerland was a success. That came in their only UEL group stage campaign (excluding the UEFA Cup), when they topped Luzern at this stage of qualifying. Prediction: Utrecht
Our pick for tie of the round is the other Nordic matchup, as BK Häcken battles Brann. The Swedes pulled off the biggest shock of last round, knocking out Anderlecht on penalties. Two years on from their only group phase showing, Getingarna are nearing another shot at that stage. They did lose both games against Molde in the UEL proper as they finished bottom of their section. Brann has suffered agonizing defeats in the UECL playoff round in each of the last two summers. They have fallen at the first hurdle in both of their previous Europa League forays under the competition’s current guise. Prediction: Brann
We conclude with another high-profile clash, as Panathinaikos meets former UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk. Pana has a decent record versus Ukrainian teams (3-2-1), progressing from both previous two-legged ties. The most recent one came in UCL Q2 two years ago, when they got past Dnipro-1. Shakhtar is unbeaten across three matches with Greek teams (1-2-0). However, this is their first time meeting a side from Greece in a two-legged tie. The Pitmen are the only club left in the Europa League qualifiers to have won the tournament before – albeit in the last year of the UEFA Cup, back in 2008/09. Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk