The UEFA Europa League play-off round draw took place on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, revealing potential opponents for the winner of the tie between Latvia’s champions and Finland’s KuPS. The victorious team will face either Denmark’s Midtjylland or Norway’s Fredrikstad in the decisive play-off round that leads to the Europa League league phase.
Midtjylland narrowly missed out on the Danish Superliga title last season, finishing just one point behind champions Copenhagen. This season, they have started steadily with five points from three league games. In the Europa League qualifiers, Midtjylland secured a dramatic extra-time 2–1 victory over Scottish side Hibernian in the second round, thanks to a spectacular bicycle kick goal by Brazilian forward Júnior Brumado in the 119th minute.
Fredrikstad, meanwhile, won the 2024 Norwegian Cup but finished sixth in last year’s Eliteserien. So far in the current season, they have collected 26 points from 18 league matches and are placed seventh in the Norwegian standings. Known for their physical style and resilience, Fredrikstad will provide a different challenge to their Danish counterparts.
For the Latvian champions, the immediate focus is on overcoming KuPS from Finland. If successful, they will reach at least the UEFA Conference League phase, with the opportunity to advance to the UEFA Europa League phase.
