St Patrick’s Athletic pitted against Legia Warsaw

Liam Buckley’s side drawn against Polish champions in Champions League qualifiers

St Patrick’s Athletic manager Liam Buckley must plot a way past Legia Warsaw in the Champions League qualifiers. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
St Patrick’s Athletic manager Liam Buckley must plot a way past Legia Warsaw in the Champions League qualifiers. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Ariticity League of Ireland champions St Patrick's Athletic have been handed a daunting meeting with Legia Warsaw in the second round of qualifiers for the Champions League.

The Polish champions will welcome the Dubliners to the Polish Army Stadium on July 15th/16th with the return leg at Richmond Park on July 22nd/23rd.

Legia come into the tie having secured back-to-back titles in Poland, winning the Ekstraklasa by 10 points last season. Managed by the former Manchester United and Blackburn defender Henning Berg, they failed to make it to the Champions League proper last year, seeing off The New Saints and Molde before losing out to Steaua Bucharest in the fourth qualifying round.

Cliftonville’s path to the third round is equally tough with Debrecen standing in their way while Celtic will play Icelandic champions KR Reykjavik in their opening qualifier.

READ SOME MORE

With Celtic Park out of commission because of the Commonwealth Games, Ronny Deila is set for a Murrayfield debut as manager with Celtic picked out first in the draw, although as wit the St Pat's fixture, the final details are yet to be confirmed.

League leaders Dundalk, meanwhile, will fancy their chances against AS Jeunesse Esch in the first qualifying round of the Europa League. Stephen Kenny’s side could have met Aberdeen or Crusaders when the regionalised draw was made but instead were drawn against the Luxembourg side.

Derry City face Aberystwyth Town of Wales while Sligo Rovers were handed a tie against Banga of Lithuania.

Linfield were drawn against Faroese side B36 Torshavn, Crusaders take on Ekranas of Lithuania and Glenavon meet FH Hafnarfjordur of Iceland.

First Round

Santa Coloma v Banants

Lincoln FC v HB Torshavn

Fiorita v Levadia Tallinn

Ties to be played July 1st/2nd and 8th/9th

Second Round

BATE v Skenderbeu

Maccabi Tel-Aviv v Santa Coloma/Banants

Dinamo Tbilisi v FK Aktobe

Zrinjski Mostar v Maribor

FC Sheriff v Sutjeska

Sparta Prague v Fiorita/Levadia Tallinn

Malmo FF v Ventspils

Slovan Bratislava v TNS

Celtic v KR Reykjavik

Cliftonville v Debrecen

Partizan Belgrade v Lincoln FC/HB Torshavn

Legia Warsaw v St Patrick's Athletic

Rabotnicki v HJK Helsinki

Dinamo Zagreb v VMFD Zalgiris

Ludogorets Razgrab v F91 Dudelange

Valletta v FK Karabakh

Stromsgodset v Steaua Bucuresti