AEK is closely monitoring the progress of the second qualifying round of the Champions League, which kicks off tonight (July 21), as the results of specific matches will determine whether the club will be among the top seeds in the playoff draw. AEK begins its European campaign directly in the playoffs and is awaiting the draw on August 3, when it will learn who its opponent will be on the road to the group stage.

The situation for AEK is clear: It needs to eliminate a team with a higher coefficient than its own. If one of Slovan Bratislava, Lech Poznan, Dinamo Zagreb, or Red Star fails to qualify, then AEK will move up to the top seeds in the draw. Otherwise, it will be placed among the underdogs and will face—in theory—a tougher opponent.

The draw for the third qualifying round paired Olympiacos with Nijmegen, while the matchups that will determine its opponent in the playoffs are Sparta Prague vs. Lyon and Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Bodø/Glimt. For AEK, however, the focus remains exclusively on the second round, as that is where its position in the bracket will be determined.

AEK’s matches are scheduled for August 18 or 19 (first leg) and August 25 or 26 (second leg). By then, the European landscape will have been shaped by results in which the club is not participating, but which directly influence the dynamics of the draw.

The matchups of interest to the team are as follows:

Imperial-Slovan Bratislava (7:00 p.m.)
Arhus vs. Lech Poznan (8:00 p.m.)
Thun vs. Dinamo Zagreb (9:00 p.m.)
Larnaca vs. Red Star Belgrade (10:00 p.m.)

*photo source: KYPE