Manchester United will face one of 10 teams in the Champions League play-off in August, with Lazio, Sporting Lisbon, CSKA Moscow and Monaco among the Reds’ potential opponents.
United are the top-seeded club in the final qualifying round and are already joined by fellow seeds Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen, who cannot face each other. Sporting and Lazio have also confirmed their places in the play-off round, and both could meet the Reds.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Ajax will also be seeded in the draw (and therefore cannot face United) if they progress through a third qualifying round containing CSKA, Club Brugge, Monaco, Young Boys, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos and Rapid Vienna.
The play-off round is split into two separate sections: a 'Champions Route' (for league winners in some of Europe’s lesser-known nations) and a 'League Route' (for clubs who finish second, third or fourth in the more prominent European leagues, i.e. United). The losing teams in both sections enter the 2015/16 Europa League group stage.
Still with us? The draw for the play-off round is on 7 August, with the two-legged ties played on 18/19 August and 25/26 August.
If United qualify for the group stage of the 2015/16 competition, we will be in seeding pot two in the draw (which takes place on 27 August), alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, with champions Chelsea in pot one.
THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND (ties 28/29 July and 4/5 August)
Seeded: Shakhtar Donetsk, Ajax, CSKA Moscow, Club Brugge, Monaco
Unseeded: Young Boys, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Rapid Vienna
PLAY-OFF ROUND (ties 18/19 and 25/26 August)
Seeded: Manchester United, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, (Shakhtar Donetsk*, Ajax*)
Unseeded: Sporting Lisbon, Lazio plus the three qualifiers from the third qualifying round
* If either Shakhtar or Ajax fail to make the play-off round, Sporting will be seeded.
* If both Shakhtar and Ajax fail to make the play-off round, Sporting and CSKA** will be seeded.
** If Shakhtar, Ajax and CSKA fail to make the play-off round, Sporting and Lazio will be seeded.
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