Updated at 19:15
DUNDALK’S MEMORABLE VICTORY over BATE Borisov on Tuesday night, has left the Premier Division champions 180 minutes away from the lucrative group stages of the Champions League.
We will know their opponents when the draw takes place at 11am on Friday, but here is a quick summary of the teams that Dundalk could face from the ‘Champions’ side of the draw.
Stephen Kenny’s side will face a seeded team, with the Irish champions statistically the weakest side left in the competition, with a coefficient of 2.590 (BATE’s was 34.000).
The first leg will take place on either 16/17 August, with the return match taking place the following week.
Let us know in the comments section, who you think would represent the best draw for Dundalk.
Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
Current Coefficient: 44.585.
Czech Republic league ranking at the end of the 2015/16 season: 13th out of 54 members (Ireland was 41st).
Recent domestic league record: The club which was formed in 1911, won their first league title 100 years later, in 2011, and have since gone on to win the league in three out of the last four seasons.
How they got here? Parachuted straight into the third qualifying round, the Czech champions looked to be heading out of the competition, but an 85th minute equaliser in Azerbaijan ensured the they progressed in dramatic fashion.
Third Qualifying Round:
1-1 v Qarabag (Azerbaijan) : 0-0 (h), 1-1 (a).
Recent European record: Viktoria have made the group stages twice in the last five seasons, and progressed to the Europa League by finishing third on both occasions, going on to reach the last 16 both times.
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Current Coefficient: 42.520.
Austrian league ranking at the end of the 2015/16 season: 16th out of 54 members.
Recent domestic league record: Formerly known as SV Austria Salzburg and SV Casino Salzburg before their Red Bull re-branding, the Austrian champions have enjoyed unparalleled success since the Red Bull takeover in 2006 – winning seven league titles in the past 10 years, having won just three before.
How they got here? Giovanni Trapattoni’s last club side have easily dispatched their opposition in the early rounds of the competition, winning both legs 3-0.
Second Qualifying Round:
3-0 v Liepaja (Latvia): 1-0 (h), 0-2 (a).
Third Qualifying Round:
3-0 v Partizani Tirana (Albania): 0-1 (a), 2-0 (h).
Recent European record: The best run the Austrians have had in Europe in recent years was reaching the round of 16 in the Europa League in 2014, but they did reach the final of the UEFA Cup as Austria Salzburg in 1994, where they lost to Inter Milan. But they have never made the group stages of the Champions League.
Celtic (Scotland)
Current Coefficient: 40.460.
Scottish league ranking at the end of the 2015/16 season: 25th out of 54 members.
Recent domestic league record: The Glasgow-based club have won the Scottish Premiership for the last five seasons, four of which were without their cross-city rivals Rangers.
How they got here? After achieving one of their worst results in the club’s history by losing to Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar, Brendan Rodgers’ side have bounced back which much-improved, but as of yet, still unconvincing performances. The Scottish champions needed a last-gasp penalty to progress past Astana of Kazakhstan in the last round.
Second Qualifying Round:
3-1 v Lincoln Red Imps: 1-0 (a), 3-0 (h).
Third Qualifying Round:
3-2 v FC Astana: 1-1 (a), 2-1 (h).
Recent European record: The 1967 European champions have failed to make the group stages for the past two seasons having been knocked out in the play-off round in both instances. They finished bottom of their Champions League group in 2013, having made the round of 16, the year before.
APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus)
Current Coefficient: 35.935.
Cypriot league ranking at the end of the 2015/16 season: 19th out of 54 members.
Recent domestic league record: APOEL have dominated the Cypriot league since the turn of the millennium, winning nine league titles, including the last four.
How they got here? After overcoming the Welsh champions after a comprehensive second leg victory, the Cypriot league winners scored three dramatic goals in stoppage-time against Rosenborg to progress to the next round.
Second Qualifying Round:
3-0 v The New Saints (Wales): 0-0 (a), 3-0 (h).
Third Qualifying Round:
4-2 v Rosbenborg (Norway): 2-1 (a), 3-0 (h).
Recent European record:
APOEL reached this stage of the competition last year, before losing to FC Astana, but then went on to finish bottom of their Europa League group containing Schalke, Sparta Prague and Asteras Tripoli.
They have however, made the Champions League group stages in three out of their last seven attempts, and incredibly made the quarter-finals of the competition in 2012 where they got knocked out by Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Legia Warsaw (Poland)
Current Coefficient: 28.000.
Polish league ranking at the end of the 2015/16 season: 18th out of 54 members.
Recent domestic league record: Having won 11 Polish league titles, they have won three of them in the last four years.
How they got here? Two narrow wins over tricky opposition has highlighted how tough the Polish side are to break down.
Second Qualifying Round:
3-1 v Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina): 1-1 (a), 2-0 (h).
Third Qualifying Round:
1-0 v AS Trenčín (Slovakia): 0-1 (a), 0-0 (h).
Recent European record: Haven’t reached the group stage of the Champions League since 1996, when they lost to Panathinaikos in the quarter-final. They have though, made it to the Europa League group stages in the past two seasons.
In 2014, they drew 1-1 at home to St Pat’s in the Champions League qualifiers, but thrashed the League of Ireland side 5-0 back in Dublin in the return leg. They went on to beat Celtic before being thrown out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player.
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I would like Dundalk to get APOEL or Celtic and feel they would have a seriously good chance of advancing if they produce a performance similar to that against BATE. I would like them to avoid Legia and Plzen, both slavic sides who will be very good on the ball and have quite a few internationals for there respective national sides. Red Bull Salzburg are hit or miss, they dont have a european pedigree that touches the likes of Legia or Plzen ( still sort of surprised they where seeded ahead of the likes of Copenhagen,Dinamo Zagreb or Ludogorets), but on the negative side they are a lot more likely to take Dundalk seriously and there is less chance of catching them by surprised. Playing in the Aviva will be a big factor and can be a plus for Dundalk if things go there way in the reverse fixture (hopefully Dundalk are playing the 2nd leg at home) unless they play Celtic as 70% of the Irish supporters will be cheering for Celtic which is of course a national disgrace but hey thats how it is.
Overall out of all the options and the factors involved i’d take APOEL.
The celtic bashing continues,what is it with LOI fans&there gripe with celtic.sad.
My gripe is with Irish fans hoping that a Scottish side beats an Irish side…You would never get that in another country.
Cathal,my hope is they both get through.i have no gripe or affilation to Dundalk fc&been a sligo man my family have a close affilation to celtic.i hope they both get favourable draws&if there drawn together,so be it.
Cathal, what a load of rubbish. You see English fans wanting foreign sides to cuff fellow English teams every season.
So your now comparing Irish people to English people…smart. And that is because they all hate each other.
What I meant is an Irish man turns up to watch an Irish side host a Scottish side while wearing Celtic top and screaming for Celtic, you wouldn’t see something like that happen in another country.
I’m not comparing English with Irish. You said it doesn’t happen in any other country which is complete rubbish. I gave one example, you could use Scotland, France, Spain and especially Italy as any other example.
I’d take Celtic, that would surely fill the Aviva
Dundalk would clip them too, roll it on .
Fill it with Celtic fans ( Irish and Scottish) unfortunately. APOEL would be best.
Legia beat Pats in Tallaght.
God lads why can’t we all get on?as both a Celtic and loi fan I hope they avoid each other and both qualify
It’s “Celtic” not “Glasgow Celtic”. You wouldn’t call “Arsenal” “London Arsenal”!
It’s called The Celtic Football Club is you really want to be pedantic
Celtic are the weakest team Dundalk could draw. But if they do draw the Hops then having it played in the Aviva will work against them as you would most likely have 20-30k Celtic fans. Legia or Salzburg would be the next best draw. APOEL Nicosia are better than people are suggesting. Plzen would be the nightmare draw.