Celtic will face Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-offs, with the first leg scheduled for August 19 and the second leg a week later on August 25. Managed by Martin O’Neill, Celtic avoided a potential rematch against Kairat Almaty, who eliminated them on penalties at the same stage last season.
Rangers could meet Northern Irish side Larne in the Europa League play-offs if both teams progress through their respective qualifying rounds. Rangers must first overcome Polish club Jagiellonia Bialystok, while Larne face Georgian champions Iberia Tbilisi in the third qualifying round. Larne have secured three of the last four Northern Irish Premiership titles. Should Rangers lose to Jagiellonia, they would enter the Conference League play-offs against the winners of a tie between Latvian side RFS and Czech club Jablonec. Larne, if eliminated, would face a tie against the losers of matches between Omonia and Lincoln Red Imps.
Hearts are preparing for a challenging Europa League third qualifying round clash against Portuguese giants Benfica. In the event of an upset victory, they would face either Danish league champions Aarhus or Azerbaijani side Sabah, who are competing in a Champions League qualifying tie. If Hearts lose to Benfica, they would drop into the Conference League play-offs to face the winners of a tie between Rapid Vienna and Estonian club Paide.
Brighton & Hove Albion will meet the winner of the Conference League fixture between Romanian side Cluj and Norwegian club Tromso in the Europa League play-offs. Motherwell’s participation in the Conference League play-offs is contingent on progressing past Finnish champions HJK Helsinki; their potential opponents would be Bundesliga side Freiburg. Hibernian, also involved in the Conference League, will play either Swedish club Gothenburg or Belgian team Gent, depending on the outcome of their match against North Macedonian side Shkendija.
Additional fixtures in European qualification include Shamrock Rovers, who, if they defeat Egnatia, will face Norwegian team Lillestrom in the Europa League play-offs. Should they fall short, they would enter the Conference League to play against the losers of the tie between KuPS of Finland and Romanian club Universitatea Craiova. Irish clubs Shelbourne and Bohemians are also engaged in Conference League qualification, with Shelbourne potentially facing either Noah or Swiss side Sion if they overcome Dutch powerhouse Ajax, while Bohemians could meet Croatian side Rijeka or Finnish club Ilves if they advance past Danish team Midtjylland.
These draws set up a range of high-stakes European fixtures across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League play-offs scheduled for later this month, determining which clubs will secure spots in the group stages of their respective tournaments.