LASK in EL classification against Dunajska Streda or Jablonec

LASK saves a trip in the third qualifying round for the European Football League. Linz disputes the playoff for promotion to the play-off at home, the opponents on September 24 are DAC Dunajska Streda from Slovakia or FK Jablonec from the Czech Republic. This was the result of Tuesday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon.

A tough opponent would be waiting for TSV Hartberg in the event of a promotion on September 17 against Gliwice in the second qualifying round. Outside, Oststeirer would go against IFK Göteborg or FC Copenhagen. After the third qualifying round, the play-off on October 1 is about a place in the group stage of the Europa League. After finishing third in the last Bundesliga season, the WAC is firmly qualified for this.

As the seeded team in the draw, LASK could also have faced FC St. Gallen or the winner of the match between Bodö Glimt (NOR) and Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU). Dunajska Streda finished third in the last championship in Slovakia. The association is the club of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia. Since the summer, Dunajska Streda has been in the care of the German Bernd Storck. He was the head of the Hungarian team in EM 2016. In the new Slovak championship season in progress, Dunajska Streda has five wins from five matches.

In the Czech Republic, the championship was canceled due to the corona pandemic, Jablonec was fourth. The season has already started again in the Czech Republic. Unlike Dunajska Streda, where some legionnaires have contracts, the northern Bohemians rely mainly on local players. Jablonec’s old star is almost 39-year-old former Czech international Tomas Hübschman.

“With DAC Dunajska Streda or FK Jablonec there is definitely an exciting and challenging opponent waiting for us,” LASK head coach Dominik Thalhammer said in an initial reaction. It is gratifying that the elimination match takes place at the Linz stadium. According to UEFA guidelines, the match is played without spectators. As Thalhammer announced, in the next few days they will “deal intensely” with both possible opponents.

Hartberg has to travel to Scandinavia in case of success against Piast Gliwice. FC Copenhagen should be the favorite for the promotion. The Danes were last in the Europa League in the quarter-finals, in which they were only subject to Manchester United after extra time. Gothenburg landed outside the European Cup ranks in the Swedish league, but secured the international starting position by winning the Swedish Cup. In the current Allsvenskan season, Gothenburg is only twelfth after 18 rounds.