[ad_1]
Viking or Aberdeen on the path of the lions in the Europa League. Rio Ave Ave can face Besiktas, who needs no introduction.
Sporting, who will host Viking or Aberdeen, are of course one of the favorites in the Europa League group stage play-offs, while Rio Ave will have a hard time in Turkey.
The draw for the third qualifying round, held this Tuesday in Nyon, Switzerland, was favorable, in theory, to the lions, who will be able to play at the José Alvalade Stadium, in a single-match decision, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic of the covid-19.
If it is Viking, Sporting will face a team that struggles not to be relegated in Norway (10th place, four points above the relegation zone) and that has the third worst defense in the competition, with 30 goals conceded. in 16 days.
However, history is cruel for the Lisbon emblem, since in 1999/2000, precisely against Viking, it was eliminated in the first round of the UEFA Cup with a tough defeat on Norwegian soil, 3-0. The lions had won the first leg 1-0.
For its part, Aberdeen, who have never faced Sporting in European competition, start the Scottish championship on the right foot, with three wins and one loss, this one against Rangers (1-0), who lead the competition. .
Sporting enters into action in the third qualifying round, while Sporting Braga has already secured a place in the group stage, where Benfica will also be eliminated in the third qualifying round or in the Champions League play-off .
Another luck in this draw was Rio Ave, who will have to play for Besiktas, one of Turkey’s “greats”, if he can beat the Bosnians from Borac in the second qualifying round.
Even going through a financial crisis, Besiktas remain a feared team in Turkey (they were third in the last league) and began their European campaign in the preliminary stages of the Champions League, having fallen to the Europa League after losing to Abel’s PAOK Thessaloniki. Ferreira 3-1.
Fifth place in the I League in 2019/20, Rio Ave competes for the fourth time in the Europa League and seeks the second classification for the group stage, to repeat the 2014/15. In 2016/17 he was in the third qualifying round and in 2018/19, in the second.
[ad_2]
