Galatasaray ready for PSV as Champions League 3rd round qualifiers draws held
Galatasaray players take part in a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match against PSV Eindhoven, Istanbul, Turkey, July 19, 2021. (DHA Photo)


Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray will take on Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match Wednesday.

The first leg will be held at PSV’s home Philips Stadium in Eindhoven, while the second leg will be played at Istanbul’s Türk Telekom Stadium on July 28.

Galatasary clinched the Champions League second-qualifying spot after finishing the 2020/21 Süper Lig season in second place behind Beşiktaş.

The winner will advance to the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round and will be assured of a group stage place in either the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, or UEFA Europa Conference League, according to the UEFA official website.

Champions League 3rd qualifying round draws held

Meanwhile, the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw was held in the Swiss city of Nyon Monday.

The winner of the play PSV Eindhoven-Galatasaray match will take on the winner of the tie between Celtic and Midtjylland.

Galatasaray will face Scotland’s St. Johnstone if PSV Eindhoven eliminates the Turkish club in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

In other fixtures, two-time former European champion Benfica was paired with Spartak Moscow. Scottish champions Rangers will face Malmo or HJK Helsinki, Belgium’s Genk will meet Shakhtar Donetsk, while 2004 runner-up Monaco take on either Rapid Vienna or Sparta Prague.

The first legs of the third qualifying round will be played on Aug. 5, and the return matches will be played on Aug. 12.

Sides that win at the third qualifying round stage progress to the play-off round, the draw for which takes place on Aug. 2.

In the Champions League third qualifying round draws, the teams are divided into two paths, the Champions Path and the League Path.

Losing teams in the champions path enter the UEFA Europa League play-offs, from which the winners reach the UEFA Europa League group stage and the losers transfer to the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.

Losing sides in the league path, on the other hand, move into the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Champions path draw

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) / Omonoia FC (CYP) vs. Legia Warszawa (POL) / Flora Tallinn (EST)Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) / CFR Cluj (ROU) vs. Slovan Bratislava (SVK) / Young Boys (SUI)Olympiacos (GRE) / Neftçi PFK (AZE) vs. Mura (SVN) / Ludogorets (BUL)Kairat Almaty (KAZ) / Crvena zvezda (SRB) vs. Alashkert (ARM) / Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)Malmö (SWE) / HJK Helsinki (FIN) vs. Rangers (SCO)Ferencváros (HUN) / Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs. SK Slavia Praha (CZE)

League path draw

PSV Eindhoven (NED) / Galatasaray (TUR) vs. Celtic FC (SCO) / Midtjylland (DEN)Spartak Moskva (RUS) vs. Benfica (POR)Genk (BEL) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)Monaco (FRA) vs. Rapid Wien (AUT) / Sparta Praha (CZE)