Last season’s group stage contenders FC Nordsjælland and FC Zenit St Petersburg will play each other in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round following the Nyon draw on Friday, which also pitted debutants SV Zulte Waregem against 1987/88 European Champion Clubs’ Cup winners PSV Eindhoven.
Belgium’s Zulte Waregem have just one previous European expedition under their belts, making it to the UEFA Cup round of 32 in 2006/07, and have the toughest of tests to proceed to the play-offs having been drawn against PSV who defeated SL Benfica in Stuttgart in 1988 to lift the European title.
Olympique Lyonnais rejoin the fray after their ten successive UEFA Champions League appearances came to an end last year – Switzerland’s Grasshopper Club will welcome them back.
Former continental champions Celtic FC will take on IF Elfsborg or FC Daugava Daugavpils should they finish off Cliftonville FC in their second qualifying round second leg, while 1985/86 winners FC Steaua Bucureşti will play FC Dinamo Tbilisi or EB/Streymur if they get past FK Vardar.
UEFA Europa League semi-finalists last term, FC Basel 1893, who advanced as far as the round of 16 in 2011/12, face Győri ETO FC or Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC while quarter-finalists that same year APOEL FC must overcome Birkirkara FC or NK Maribor to enter the play-offs.
The third qualifying round unfolds over two legs on 30/31 July and 6/7 August. The 15 victorious sides will be two games away from the group stage, with the 20 teams on the champions route to be drawn against one another in the play-offs. Arsenal FC, AC Milan, FC Schalke 04, Real Sociedad de Fútbol and FC Paços de Ferreira await the five clubs that progress through the league route.
Third qualifying round draw (30/31 July, 6/7 August)
Champions route
FC Basel 1893 (SUI) v Győri ETO FC (HUN)/Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
Sligo Rovers FC (IRL)/Molde FK (NOR) v The New Saints FC (WAL)/Legia Warszawa (POL)
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)/PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) v FC Shirak (ARM)/FK Partizan (SRB)
FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)/ EB/Streymur (FRO) v FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)/FK Vardar (MKD)
APOEL FC (CYP) v Birkirkara FC (MLT)/NK Maribor (SVN)
Celtic FC (SCO)/ Cliftonville FC (NIR) v IF Elfsborg (SWE)/FC Daugava Daugavpils (LVA)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR)/FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ) v Neftçi PFK (AZE)/KS Skënderbeu (ALB)
FK Austria Wien (AUT) v FK Ekranas (LTU)/FH Hafnarfjördur(ISL)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)/JK Nõmme Kalju (EST) v FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)/FK Željezničar (BIH)
CS Fola Esch (LUX)/GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v FC Sheriff (MDA)/FK Sutjeska (MNE)
League route
FC Nordsjælland (DEN) v FC Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)
FC Salzburg (AUT) v Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
PAOK FC (GRE) v FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
PSV Eindhoven (NED) v SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v Grasshopper Club (SUI)
* The participation of Fenerbahçe SK in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League and/or 2013/14 UEFA Europa League is subject to the final decision of the CAS