UEFA Champions League: Playoffs draw out

The draw for the final round of qualifiers for the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League was carried out earlier today in Nyon, Switzerland. There are some really interesting encounters in the qualifiers though it is difficult to pick out one.

This season will see the return of Borussia Mönchengladbach to the European stage after 16 years and they face a tricky encounter against Champions League old boys Dynamo Kyiv, while until recently big spending Spaniards Málaga CF face Panathinaikos Athens in an encounter in which they face their ex-coach Jesualdo Ferreira.

In another encounter Scottish champions Celtic Glasgow hope to return to the Champions League group stage, but face tough opposition in Swedish side Helsingborgs IF; while Swiss side FC Basel hope to return to the group stage for another sensational run but Romanians CFR 1907 Cluj are in their way.

The playoff matches will be played on August 21/22 and August 28/29. The draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage will be held on August 30 in Monaco with the losing sides from the playoffs getting a place in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.


UEFA Champions League - Play-off Round

Champions route
FC Basel 1893 (SWITZERLAND) - CFR 1907 Cluj (ROMANIA)
Helsingborgs IF (SWEDEN) - Celtic FC (SCOTLAND)
FC BATE Borisov (BELARUS) - Hapoel Kiryat Shmona FC (ISRAEL)
AEL Limassol FC (CYPRUS) - RSC Anderlecht (BELGIUM)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CROATIA) - NK Maribor (SLOVENIA)

League route
SC Braga (PORTUGAL) - Udinese Calcio (ITALY)
FC Spartak Moskva (RUSSIA) v Fenerbahçe SK (TURKEY)
Málaga CF (SPAIN) - Panathinaikos FC (GREECE)
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach (GERMANY) - FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKRAINE)
LOSC Lille Métropole (FRANCE) - FC København (DENMARK)