Aberdeen Europa League playoff groupings revealed as Greek and Belgian big guns are possibilities

Who Aberdeen might face in the Europa League playoff round has become slightly clearer after UEFA confirmed the draw groupings.

The Dons are 180 minutes away from the group stage of the competition, but know if they are knocked out then they will drop into the Europa Conference League groups and are guaranteed European football at Pittodrie until November. Barry Robson’s team will be going all out to progress in the Europa League however, even if that means a tougher test.

As a Priority 1 team along with Ajax, LASK, FK Cukaricki, Zorya Luhansk and Union Saint Gilloise, Aberdeen will be drawn either against either a club from the Priority 4 pot, or one of those remaining from Priority 3. As UEFA explain in the draw procedure: “One ball is drawn from the Priority 1 bowl and another from the Priority 4 bowl. The two balls are placed in an empty bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn from this bowl will play its first match at home, against the second team drawn.

“This procedure is repeated to complete the second and third pairings. The three remaining Priority 1 teams are then paired with teams from Priority 3 as follows:

“One ball is drawn from the Priority 1 bowl and another from the Priority 3 bowl. The two balls are placed in an empty bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn from this bowl will play its first match at home, against the second team drawn. This procedure is repeated to complete the fifth and sixth pairings.”

So, that means Aberdeen will face one of the following, depending on whether they are one of the first three Priority 1 teams out of the hat or not:

Priority 3
Winners match 1 FK Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs BK Häcken (SWE)
Winners match 2 Qarabağ FK (AZE) vs HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Winners match 3 HŠK Zrinjski (BIH) vs Breidablik (ISL)
Winners match 4 FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) vs FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Winners match 5 FC Astana (KAZ) vs PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL)

Priority 4
FC Lugano (SUI)
Winners match 6 Olympiacos FC (GRE) vs KRC Genk (BEL)
Winners match 7 SK Slavia Praha (CZE) vs SC Dnipro-1 (UKR)