Following a Monday draw held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, the path for ŠK Slovan Bratislava has been established for the 2026/2027 Champions League qualification process. The Slovak champions must first navigate the third qualifying round against Swedish side Mjällby AIF to advance to the play-off stage.
Champions League Play-off Potential
If Slovan Bratislava successfully advances past Mjällby AIF, they will face the winner of the match between FC Ararat-Armenia and NK Celje in the Champions League play-offs. According to reports from Aktuality and Denník N, the first legs of these play-off matchups are scheduled for August 18 and 19, with the return legs taking place on August 25 and 26.
Europa League Contingency
Should the club fail to progress through the third qualifying round, they will move into the Europa League play-offs. In this scenario, Slovan will compete for a spot in the league phase against either the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg or the Cypriot team FC Pafos.
For this potential Europa League route, the schedule is set for a home match on Thursday, August 20, with the second leg occurring one week later on August 27 in either Austria or Cyprus. The winner of this tie will enter the Europa League league phase, while the defeated team will move to the league phase of the Europa Conference League. The draw for the Europa League league phase is scheduled for Friday, August 28.
Third Qualifying Round Schedule and Squad
The immediate hurdle for Slovan is the third qualifying round. The first match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at the stadium of Mjällby in Hälleviku. The return leg will be hosted in Bratislava on Tuesday, August 11.
,fit(1200:) "Photo: Aktuality")
In preparation for this two-legged tie, Slovan Bratislava has released its squad list. According to ta3.com, the current roster excludes Jurij Medveděv, Andraž Šporar, and Sharani Zuberu. The club may also utilize a “B-list” for young homegrown players born after January 1, 2005, which includes players such as Matúš Tomáš, Nina Marcelli, and Alexej Maroš.
Draw Context and Other Matchups
Slovan Bratislava was placed in the second group of non-seeded teams during the draw. According to 24hod.sk, other possible opponents for the club could have included teams from Albania, Ireland, Belgium, Greece (PAOK Solún), Poland, or Scotland (Glasgow Rangers).
Other notable matchups determined during the Nyon draw include:
- Fenerbahce Istanbul/SK Sturm Graz vs. AC Sparta Praha/Olympique Lyon
- GNK Dinamo Záhreb/FK Žalgiris Kaunas vs. Viking Stavanger
- Celtic Glasgow vs. LASK Linz
- PFC Levski Sofia/FC Kajrat Almaty vs. AEK Atény
The draw also highlighted potential Slovak connections in other ties; for example, Slovak defender Milan Škriniar plays for Fenerbahce Istanbul and could face either Dominik Greif of Lyon or Lukáš Haraslín, Jakub Surovčík, and Dominik Hollý of Sparta Praha. Additionally, Slovak goalkeeper Ľubomír Belko is currently with Viking Stavanger.
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