Aberdeen will go into the hat for Monday’s Europa League third round qualifier draw unseeded. It means they will face some challenging opponents if they make it to that round.
The Dons are in the hat for the third qualifying draw after safely negotiating their first round tie against RoPS. It wasn’t without difficulty, but Derek McInnes’ side prevailed 4-2 winners on aggregate.
They’ll face off against Georgian side Chikhura Sachkhere in the second qualifying round. Win that, and some seriously difficult opponents lie in wait for them.
Aberdeen face a tough third round qualifier
We’ll start from what we deem to be their best draw and work our way up to their hardest task. The best chance they have of progressing out of this round and into the play-offs is if they meet Partizan FK.
They face Connah’s Quay Nomads, who recently shocked Killie in the first qualifying round. Unless another major upset occurs, the Serbians will progress.
They’ll be seeded for the play-off round should they progress, but If the Dons knocked them out, they’d take their place. A win over an undercooked Partizan, who haven’t started their league season at the time of writing, will give the Dons a massive advantage in the play-off round.
Next is Rijeka, a familiar team to Aberdeen. They faced them a few years ago at the third round stage, toppling the Croatians 3-0 in Rijeka before seeing out the rest of the tie at Pittodrie.
McInnes knows what it takes to beat this side. Things have changed since 2015, but the two sides are similar in quality.
Vitoria De Guimaraes of Portugal, if they get by AS Jeunesse Esch of Luxembourg, could be another opponent. They finished fifth in the Primeira Liga last season and will be a very challenging match for the Dons, but not unbeatable.
Eintracht Frankfurt are another team they could face. The German side reached the semi-finals of this competition last season. With the likes of Croatian international Ante Rebic in their ranks, they’ll have too much quality for the Dons to handle.
The loser of the Champions League second qualifying round match between PSV and Basel will also be a potential opponent. Both sides are well established European names who will provide Aberdeen with the toughest tasks.
If they make it this far, Aberdeen will no doubt have a difficult match on their hands.