Experienced sides in second stage
Sunday, July 13, 2014
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Former champions Celtic FC and FC Steaua Bucureşti are among ten past group stage contenders starting their 2014/15 bids as the second qualifying round begins.
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Two former European title winners and eight other group stage veterans are among the sides entering the fray this week as the second qualifying round begins.
The three first qualifying round winners – FC Santa Coloma, HB Tórshavn and FC Levadia Tallinn – are joining the champions of the next 31 higher-ranked association in the two-legged ties played over the next two Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Levadia face an AC Sparta Praha team aiming to earn a first group campaign since 2005/06, when they competed at that level for the seventh time in nine seasons.
Former champions Celtic FC and FC Steaua Bucureşti both reached the group stage from the second qualifying round last term and attempt to do so again. Celtic meet KR Reykjavík and Steaua are up against Norwegian club Strømsgodset IF, whose sole European Cup experience was a 1971/72 first-round exit to Arsenal FC.
Other past group contenders in action are FC BATE Borisov, Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC, Debreceni VSC, FK Partizan, GNK Dinamo Zagreb, HJK Helsinki, and Legia Warszawa. PFC Ludogorets Razgrad fell in the play-offs last season but got to the UEFA Europa League round of 16; F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg visit Bulgaria on Wednesday.
All sides involved in these ties will go into Friday's third qualifying round draw, streamed live on UEFA.com from 12.00CET, with the 17 eventual winners to join the three teams in the champions path given byes:
Second qualifying round
(15 & 22 July except *16 July & **23 July)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR) v KS Skënderbeu (ALB)
FC Santa Coloma (ARM) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
FC Sheriff (MDA) v FK Sutjeska (MNE)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) v FC Levadia Tallinn (EST)
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v The New Saints FC (WAL)
KR Reykjavík (ISL) v Celtic FC (SCO)
Cliftonville FC (NIR) v Debreceni VSC (HUN)
FK Partizan (SRB) v HB Tórshavn (FRO)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v VMFD Žalgiris (LTU)
Valletta FC (MLT) v Qarabağ FK (AZE)
HŠK Zrinjski (BIH) v NK Maribor (SVN)**
FK Rabotnicki (MKD) v HJK Helsinki (FIN)**
*PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) v F91 Dudelange (LUX)
*FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v FK Aktobe (KAZ)**
*Malmö FF (SWE) v FK Ventspils (LVA)**
*Legia Warszawa (POL) v Saint Patrick's Athletic (IRL)**
*Strømsgodset IF (NOR) v FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)**
