Liverpool's CL play-off opponent is becoming clearer
It's been the question on most Liverpool fans' lips since that vital 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on the last day of the season.
Who will the Reds face in the play-off which stands between them and entry into the group stages of the Champions League?
Weekend ction in the European leagues still finishing their seasons has made the play-off picture rather clearer for Liverpool.
Nine of the 10 possible opponents are confirmed with the final team coming from one of PAOK, AEK Athens or Panathinaikos in Greece.
The weekend events mean that the five seeded teams for the play-off round will definitely include Liverpool, Napoli and Sevilla. Ajax and Dynamo Kiev will join them IF they win their third round play-off so none of these teams will face the Reds.
Roma finished second in Italy after their late winner in Franceso Totti's last game to send Napoil into the play-offs but both would have been seeded either way so would not have been able to face Liverpool.
So what of those that could.
Possible opponents for Liverpool
The five possible opponents will be made up of those who come through that preceding round which includes the following teams in coefficient order.
Viktora Plzen (Czech Republic) - finished second, 10 points behind winners Slavia Prague.
CSKA Moscow (Russia) - finished second, seven points behind Spartak Moscow and one point ahead of Zenit.
Club Brugge (Belgium) - finished second, two points behind Anderlecht.
Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) - finished third, behind champions Benfica and second place Porto.
Steaua Bucharest (Romania) - finished second behind Viitorul.
Young Boys (Switzerland) - second to regular pests FC Basel by a whopping 17 points.
Nice (France) - third behind champions Monaco and second-placed PSG.
Hoffenheim (Germany) - fourth, two points behind third-placed Dortmund and 20 behind champions Bayern Munich.
Istanbul BB (Turkey) - second behind champions Besiktas and well ahead of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.
The final possible opponent will come from Greece where a four-team play-off series is underway.
AEK Athens, PAOK based in Thessaloniki or Panathinaikos from Athens are still in contention to win the play-off spot.
If Ajax or Kiev failed to get through their play-off round, then Plzen and then CSKA Moscow would move up and become seeds, meaning Liverpool could not draw them after all.
The draw will be made by UEFA on Friday August 4 with the games to be played on either August 16 or August 17, with the return leg a week later on August 23 or August 24.
Source: Liverpool Echo
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