Scottish sides learn European play-off draws

Celtic crushed Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in last seasons Champions League league phase

Celtic will meet Slovan Bratislava or Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play-off round.

If Scottish Premiership runners-up Rangers get past Viktoria Plzen in the third round of qualifying, they take on either RB Salzburg or Club Brugge.

The play-off ties will take place over 19/20 August and 26/27 August, with the winners progressing to the league phase of the tournament.

The losers over two legs will drop into the Europa League at the league phase stage.

If Rangers lose out to Czech side Viktoria Plzen, that also secures a place in the league phase of the Europa League.

Celtic hammered Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in Glasgow last season on their way to a 21st-place finish in the Champions League table.

Brendan Rodgers side won three and drew three of their league phase matches, going on to lose narrowly to Bayern Munich in the play-offs for the last 16.

Celtic have never played Kairat Almaty before but have beaten Shakhter Karagandy and Astana from Kazakhstan in 2013 and 2017.

Rangers last reached the group stage of the tournament in 2022.

Aberdeen have been drawn against FCSB of Bucharest or Kosovan side Drita in the Europa League play-off round.

The first leg will be played at Pittodrie on 21 August, with the return match a week later.

The losers of that tie drop into the Conference League league phase.

FCSB were beaten by Shkendija from North Macedonia in the second round of Champions League qualifying and finished 11th in the Europa League table last season, losing their visit to Rangers.

Formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, the 1986 European Cup winners, they went on to reach the last 16.

Hibernian and Dundee United landed in the same pot for the Conference League play-off draw.

The Edinburgh side must overcome Partizan Belgrade to be involved, while United meet Rapid Vienna next.

In the event of progression, Hibs will take on the losers of the Legia Warsaw v AEK Larnaca Europa League fixture, while the Tannadice club would be up against the winners of AIK Stockholm v FC Gyor.

Both Scottish sides would be at home in the first legs, scheduled for 21 August, and both would be bidding for their first taste of European group stage football.