Europa League Draw 2015-16: Full List of Play-off Round Fixtures and Dates
Borussia Dortmund will face Odds BK in the play-off round of the Europa League, as the draw for the final qualifying stage was made on Friday.
Elsewhere, Premier League side Southampton will tackle Danish champions FC Midtjylland over two legs, while La Liga outfit Athletic Club will go up against Zilina.
Ties are due to be played on August 20 and August 27, with the 22 winners going through to the draw for the group stage later this month. Here’s a look at the lineup in full, per the competition's official Twitter account:
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"Here is the complete official play-off draw. Ties to be played 20 & 27 August. #UELdraw pic.twitter.com/HJidsOQ2QF
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 7, 2015"
Borussia Dortmund vs. Odds BK
Thomas Tuchel may be disappointed his team aren’t playing Champions League football this season, but the new Borussia Dortmund manager will be hopeful of making a big impression in the Europa League. Up against Norwegian outfit Odds BK, they should be confident of a safe passage through to the group stage.
As noted by former Norway international Jan Aage Fjortoft, it’ll be a great experience for Odd to play host to the Bundesliga giants:
It’s going to be interesting to see how Dortmund approach the Europa League this season. Tuchel will be keen on securing Champions League qualification through the Bundesliga, and Europe’s second-tier competition is renowned for taking a toll on a team’s season. But it’s important to take nothing for granted in this play-off tie.
As we can see here, courtesy of OptaFranz, Dortmund have a pretty sound record when taking on teams from the Scandinavian country:
Tuchel and his side should have no problems in this encounter and will march into the group stage as the big favourites to go on and secure the Europa League trophy. But getting the balance right throughout the campaign is likely to be a major challenge for Tuchel in what is to be a demanding job replacing the departed Jurgen Klopp.
Southampton vs. FC Midtjylland
After a superb seventh-place finish last season in the Premier League, Southampton’s reward was a spot in the Europa League. They can ensure they’ll be playing in the group stage this season with a play-off win over Danish champions FC Midtjylland.
Saints proved to be far too good for Vitesse in the previous round, securing a mightily impressive 5-0 win on aggregate. Goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who is currently out injured, paid tribute to the team’s effort on Thursday, as they bagged a 2-0 win away at the Eredivisie side:
"Well done to the lads on another excellent result. Great to get through to the next round. #EuropaLeague #WeMarchOn pic.twitter.com/HrGgr4h9VW
— Fraser Forster (@FraserForster) August 6, 2015"
Their opponents could potentially be tricky, though. FC Midtjylland do possess a winning pedigree, and Jess Thorup’s team have some decent players to call upon. Their stadium, the MCH Arena, is also a very tough place to visit; as recorded by Soccerway, they won 15 home matches in a row on their way to the title last season.
One man for whom the two matches will be extra special is Tim Sparv, who joined the Danish outfit in 2014. The Finnish midfielder spent his youth career at Southampton before leaving in 2007. He took to Twitter to pay tribute to the role Saints played in his development:
With the first leg to be played at St Mary’s, it is important Southampton take a commanding lead to what could potentially be a very awkward away tie. Expect Ronald Koeman’s side to do exactly that, making them one of the teams to watch in a group stage that will be bristling with quality outfits.
