Europa Conference League qualifying: how it worked, results

What is it?

UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying began on 6 July and concluded on 26 August. Over the course of four rounds of two-legged ties in the inaugural edition, 163 teams were whittled down to the 22 who advanced to the group stage together with ten losing teams from the UEFA Europa League play-offs. Unlike the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, no teams qualified automatically for this group stage. There were two qualifying paths: champions path and main path.

How did the champions path work?

The champions path involved domestic title holders eliminated from the UEFA Champions League or (having began in the former competition) the UEFA Europa League. Teams entered as they were eliminated from those two competitions, joining sides who advanced from the previous round of UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying. There were three stages:

• Second qualifying round (18 teams) – 20–29 July
• Third qualifying round (10 teams) – 3–12 August
• Play-offs (10 teams) – 19–26 August

How did the main path work?

The main path involved all non-champions, including three teams that transferred to the play-offs from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, and it consisted of four stages:

• First qualifying round (66 teams) – 6–15 July
• Second qualifying round (90 teams) – 20–29 July
• Third qualifying round (54 teams) – 3–12 August
• Play-offs (34 teams) – 19–26 August 

Fixtures

Play-offs (aggregate score)

SECOND LEGS (26 August)

Champions path

Harry Kane after scoring against Paços de FerreiraTottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 1-0 Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU), agg: 3-2
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 4-0 Neftçi (AZE), agg: 7-3
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) 0-1 Flora Tallinn (EST), agg: 2-5
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) 3-1 Riga (LVA), aet, agg: 4-2 
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) 3-1 Fola Esch (LUX), agg: 7-2

Main path

Aberdeen (SCO) 1-3 Qarabağ (AZE), agg 1-4
Hammarby (SWE) 3-1 Basel (SUI), aet, agg: 4-4, Basel win 4-3 on pens
CSKA-Sofia (BUL) 3-0 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), aet, agg: 3-2
Tottenham (ENG) 3-0 Paços de Ferreira (POR), agg: 3-1
Rosenborg (NOR) 1-3 Rennes (FRA), agg: 1-5
Vitesse (NED) 2-1 Anderlecht (BEL), agg: 5-4
St Johnstone (SCO) 0-2 LASK (AUT), agg: 1-3
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) 2-0 Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ), agg: 4-1
Rijeka (CRO) 0-2 PAOK (GRE), agg: 1-3
Union Berlin (GER) 0-0 KuPS Kuopio (FIN), agg: 4-0
Elfsborg (SWE) 3-1 Feyenoord (NED), agg: 3-6
Gent (BEL) 3-0 Raków Czestochowa (POL), agg: 3-1
Copenhagen (DEN) 5-0 Sivasspor (TUR), agg: 7-1
Partizan (SRB) 2-0 Santa Clara (POR), agg 3-2
Roma (ITA) 3-0 Trabzonspor (TUR), agg: 5-1
Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP) 3-1 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR), agg: 3-1
Žilina (SVK) 0-3 Jablonec (CZE), agg: 1-8

FIRST LEGS (19 August)

Champions path

Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) 2-2 Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Neftçi (AZE) 3-3 Maccabi Haifa (ISR)
Flora Tallinn (EST) 4-2 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Riga (LVA) 1-1 Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Fola Esch (LUX) 1-4 Kairat Almaty (KAZ)

Main path

Qarabağ (AZE) 1-0 Aberdeen (SCO)
Basel (SUI) 3-1 Hammarby (SWE)
Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) 2-0 CSKA-Sofia (BUL)
Paços de Ferreira (POR) 1-0 Tottenham (ENG)
Rennes (FRA) 2-0 Rosenborg (NOR)
Anderlecht (BEL) 3-3 Vitesse (NED)
LASK (AUT) 1-1 St Johnstone (SCO)
Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ) 1-2 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
PAOK (GRE) 1-1 Rijeka (CRO)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) 0-4 Union Berlin (GER)
Feyenoord (NED) 5-0 Elfsborg (SWE)
Raków Czestochowa (POL) 1-0 Gent (BEL)
Sivasspor (TUR) 1-2 Copenhagen (DEN)
Santa Clara (POR) 2-1 Partizan (SRB)
Trabzonspor (TUR) 1-2 Roma (ITA)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) 0-0 Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP)
Jablonec (CZE) 5-1 Žilina (SVK)

Completed rounds (aggregate scores)

Third qualifying round (3–12 August)

Champions path

Shamrock Rovers ended the hopes of Albanian champiosn TeutaSPORTSFILE

Prishtina (KOS) 2-3 Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 
Linfield (NIR) 2-4 Fola Esch (LUX)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) 3-0 Teuta (ALB)
Riga FC (LVA) 4-2 Hibernians (MLT), aet
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 7-3 HB Tórshavn (FRO)

Main path

Domžale (SVN) 2-8 Rosenborg (NOR)
Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ) 0-0 Kolos Kovalivka (UKR) aet, 3-1pens
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) 5-4 Astana (KAZ)
AEL Limassol (CYP) 1-2 Qarabağ (AZE) 
Raków Czestochowa (POL) 1-0 Rubin (RUS), aet
Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) 0-6 Žilina (SVK) 
Trabzonspor (TUR) 4-4 Molde (NOR), aet, 4-3pens
Čukarički (SRB) 4-6 Hammarby (SWE)
Bohemians (IRL) 2-3 PAOK (GRE)

RIga celebrate their extra-time win against HiberniansDomenic Aquilina

Gent (BEL) 3-2 RFS (LVA)
Śląsk Wrocław (POL) 2-5 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) 0-1 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) 
Újpest (HUN) 1-6 Basel (SUI)`
The New Saints (WAL) 5-5 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), aet, 1-4pens 
Laç (ALB) 1-5 Anderlecht (BEL) 
Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) 3-5 Copenhagen (DEN) 
Hibernian (SCO) 2-5 Rijeka (CRO)
Luzern (SUI) 0-6 Feyenoord (NED)

Basel eased into the play-offsGetty Images

Elfsborg (SWE) 5-2 Velež (BIH)
Santa Clara (POR) 3-0 Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) 
Paços de Ferreira (POR) 4-1 Larne (NIR)
Dinamo Batumi (GEO) 2-3 Sivasspor (TUR), aet
Breidablik (ISL) 3-5 Aberdeen (SCO) 
Vojvodina (SRB) 1-7 LASK (AUT)
Vitesse (NED) 4-3 Dundalk (IRL) 
CSKA-Sofia (BUL) 5-3 Osijek (CRO)
Sochi (RUS) 3-3 Partizan (SRB), aet, 4-2pens

Second qualifying round (20–29 July)

Champions path

Teuta (ALB) 3-2 Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND), aet
Riga FC (LVA) 3-0 Shkëndija (MKD) 
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) 2-7 Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 
HB Tórshavn (FRO) 6-0 Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
Linfield (NIR) 4-0 Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) 1-3 Fola Esch (LUX) 
Folgore (SMR) 3-7 Hibernians (MLT)
Prishtina (KOS) 6-5 Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL) 
Valur (ISL) 0-6 Bodø/Glimt (NOR)

Main path

KuPS Kuopio (FIN) 5-4 Vorskla Poltava (UKR), aet
FCSB (ROU) 2-2 Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ), aet, 3-5pens
Arda Kardzhali (BUL) 0-6 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) 
Apollon Limassol (CYP) 3-5 Žilina (SVK) 
Čukarički (SRB) 2-0 Sumqayıt (AZE) 
Sutjeska (MNE) 1-3 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Astana (KAZ) 3-2 Aris Thessaloniki (GRE), aet
Petrocub Hînceşti (MDA) 0-2 Sivasspor (TUR) 
AEL Limassol (CYP) 2-0 Vllaznia (ALB) 
Sochi (RUS) 7-2 Keşla (AZE) 
Elfsborg (SWE) 9-0 Milsami Orhei (MDA) 
RFS (LVA) 5-0 Puskás Akadémia (HUN) 
Dinamo Batumi (GEO) 4-2 BATE Borisov (BLR) 
Partizan (SRB) 3-0 Dunajská Streda (SVK)
Dundalk (IRL) 4-3 Levadia Tallinn (EST)

Gżira United (MLT) 0-3 Rijeka (CRO) 
Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) 4-2 Dinamo Brest (BLR)
Kauno Žalgiris (LTU) 1-10 The New Saints (WAL) 
Domžale (SVN) 2-1 Honka Espoo (FIN)
CSKA-Sofia (BUL) 0-0 Liepāja (LVA), aet, 3-1 pens
Shkupi (MKD) 0-5 Santa Clara (POR) 
Hibernian (SCO) 5-1 Santa Coloma (AND) 
Larne (NIR) 3-2 AGF Aarhus (DEN) 
Gent (BEL) 4-2 Vålerenga (NOR) 
Dudelange (LUX) 0-4 Bohemians (IRL) 
Velež (BIH) 2-2 AEK Athens (GRE), aet, 3-2 pens
Qarabağ (AZE) 1-0 Ashdod (ISR) 
Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) 1-1 Slovácko (CZE), aet, 3-2 pens
Ararat Yerevan (ARM) 5-7 Śląsk Wrocław (POL) 
Laç (ALB) 1-0 Universitatea Craiova (ROU)

Olimpija Ljubljana celebrate their penalty shoot-out win at BirkirkaraDomenic Aquilina

Drita (KOS) 2-3 Feyenoord (NED)
Basel (SUI) 5-0 Partizani (ALB) 
Pogoń Szczecin (POL) 0-1 Osijek (CRO) 
Austria Wien (AUT) 2-3 Breidablik (ISL) 
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) 1-1 Birkirkara (MLT), aet, 5-4 pens
Hammarby (SWE) 4-1 Maribor (SVN)
Molde (NOR) 3-2 Servette (SUI)
Újpest (HUN) 5-2 Vaduz (LIE)
Sūduva (LTU) 0-0 Raków Czestochowa (POL), aet, 3-4 pens
Spartak Trnava (SVK) 1-1 Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe (ROU), aet, 4-3 pens
FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) 1-6 Rosenborg (NOR)
Copenhagen (DEN) 9-1 Torpedo Zhodino (BLR) 
Panevezys (LTU) 0-2 Vojvodina (SRB) 
Hajduk Split (CRO) 3-4 Tobol Kostanay (KAZ), aet
Aberdeen (SCO) 5-3 BK Häcken (SWE) 

First qualifying round (6–15 July)

Main path

Levadia Tallinn (EST) 4-2 St Joseph's (GIB)
Inter Turku (FIN) 1-3 Puskás Akadémia (HUN)
Dečić (MNE) 1-3 Drita (KOS)
Sūduva (LTU) 2-1 Valmiera (LVA)
La Fiorita 1967 (SMR) 1-2 Birkirkara (MLT)
Mons Calpe (GIB) 1-5 Santa Coloma (AND)
Velež (BIH) 4-2 Coleraine (NIR)
Domžale (SVN) 2-1 Swift Hesper (LUX)
Shkupi 1987 (MKD) 3-1 Llapi (KOS)
Dinamo Batumi (GEO) 7-0 Tre Penne (SMR)
Sfintul Gheorghe (MDA) 4-8 Partizani (ALB)

Maribor (SVN) 2-0 Urartu (ARM)
Laç (ALB) 3-1 Podgorica (MNE)
Milsami Orhei (MDA) 1-0 FK Sarajevo (BIH)
Noah (ARM) 1-5 KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
Žilina (SVK) 6-3 Dila Gori (GEO)
FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) 3-1 Sligo Rovers (IRL)
Paide Linnameeskond (EST) 1-4 Śląsk Wrocław (POL)
RFS (LVA) 6-5aet KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
Bala Town (WAL) 0-2 Larne (NIR)
Fehérvár FC (HUN) 1-3 Ararat (ARM)
Gagra (GEO) 1-2 Sutjeska (MNE)

Georgie Kelly celebrates scoring for Bohemians against StjarnanSPORTSFILE

Sileks (MKD) 1-2 Petrocub-Hincesti (MDA)
Široki Brijeg (BIH) 3-4 Vllaznia (ALB)
Stjarnan (ISL) 1-4 Bohemians (IRL)
Glentoran (NIR) 1-3 The New Saints (WAL)
Sant Julià (AND) 1-1 (3-5p) Gżira United (MLT)
Europa (GIB) 0-2 Kauno Žalgiris (LTU)
Dundalk (IRL) 5-0 Newtown (WAL)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) 4-3 Mosta (MLT)
Struga (MKD) 2-5 Liepāja (LVA)
Racing FC Union Lëtzebuerg (LUX) 2-5 Breidablik (ISL)
Honka Espoo (FIN) 3-1 NSÍ Runavík (FRO)