European Football Showdown: Hibs' Potential Clash with McGinn's Aston Villa; Exciting Draw Reveals Fate of Gers, Aberdeen, and Hearts
Hibs and Hearts eye tough Europa League opponents; Rangers and Aberdeen face challenging hurdles in quest for Champions League and Europa League progression
If Hibernian manages to overcome Luzern in the Europa Conference League play-off round, they might cross paths with their former player John McGinn in the next stage. Hibs will go up against Aston Villa, a Premier League team, if they successfully advance past the third round. The first leg of their match against Luzern will take place at home this Thursday, followed by the return leg in Switzerland on the following Thursday.
Villa will be playing their inaugural European match this season, whereas Hibs have already triumphed over Inter Club d'Escaldes. Despite suffering a surprising 2-1 defeat in Andorra, they managed to bounce back by obliterating the part-time players 6-1 in Edinburgh.
Should Hearts emerge victorious against Rosenborg in the third qualifying round, they will go head-to-head with either Hajduk Split from Croatia or PAOK from Greece.
If Rangers defeat Servette in the third qualifying round, they will compete against either PSV Eindhoven or Sturm Graz in order to secure a spot in the group stage of the Champions League. The first leg of the final qualifier is scheduled to take place at Ibrox on either August 22 or 23, with the return leg occurring the following week.
Rangers knocked the Dutch side out in qualifying last season and faced the Austrians in the group stage in 2000.
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Rangers beat PVS Eindhoven in last season's Champions League qualifiers
Michael Beale's team, Servette, will be playing at Ibrox on Wednesday, followed by the second leg in Switzerland on August 15.
In the Europa League's play-off round, Aberdeen will be matched against either Zalgiris Vilnius from Lithuania or the Swedish club BK Hacken.
The ties will take place on 24 and 31 August, with the second leg at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen beat Hacken 5-3 on aggregate in the Europa Conference League in 2021 despite a second-leg defeat.
The Dons will secure a spot in the Europa Conference League, regardless of the outcome of the Europa League play-off tie. Barry Robson's team earned their top seeding in the draw by directly qualifying for this stage, thanks to their third-place finish in the previous season's Premiership.
Beale targets Champions League progression
The significance of qualifying for the Champions League was discussed by Beale in an interview with We News. He emphasized that playing in this prestigious competition is highly desirable for all footballers, as it represents the ultimate level of achievement.
"Europe has played a crucial role in our recent success, particularly in the Europa League where we have made remarkable progress since 2018.
Securing a spot in the Champions League last season was a remarkable feat, although the outcomes didn't align with our aspirations. Nonetheless, this year presents another chance for redemption and progress."
"No one would like to come to Ibrox, I don't think, but we know it's going to be tough to qualify again."
