Champions League rejects Panathinaikos face an awkward trip to Israel if they are to reach the group stages of the Europa League while Olympiakos Volou, flirting with expulsion from the competiton, face perhaps the toughest challenge in the draw.
Panathinaikos were dumped out of the Champions League this week and now have to face Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Europa League play-off round - the crucial last step to a place in the group stages.
"It will after the end of the two legs whether this is a good draw or not," said a realistic Vangelis Petsos, the representative of Panathinaikos in the draw at Nyon, Switzerland.
"A good Panathinaikos should not have a serious problem with the Israelis," he added. "It is a good thing that the league in Israel has not started yet, so we will not face a team that is more ready than we are."
Volos, whose appeal against relegation has been put back for a week, face the daunting prospect of the newly-rich French club Paris St Germain whose Qatari owners, disappointed to have missed out on the Champions League, will be eager for an immediate payback on their massive investment. PSG would dearly love to win the Europa League this season to underline their credentials.
"We will do our best so that we and our fans enjoy the games and maybe use good luck in order to advance to the group stage," said Olympiakos Volou striker Ilias Solakis.
PAOK, meanshile, also face a touch task as they look to overcome the Ukrainian side Karpaty Lviv while AEK Athens are up against the former Cup Winners Cup winners Dynamo Tblisi.
"PAOK will need to appear as concentrated as we did against Valerenga, in order to make it to the group stage for the second year in a row," stated PAOK board member Giorgos Farlalis. "That will be important for the club's prestige to say nothing about the economic benefits."
"It certainly is an issue that we do not know so much about the team we got and we need to be careful to avoid any surprises. Dinamo Tbilisi hava already eliminated three teams to get here, which proves their worth," said AEK manager Manolo Jimenez.
The first legs will be on August 18 with the returns a week later.
If Volos's appeal is overturned and they are relegated to the second division they wil be ejected from the competition.
The draw
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Panathinaikos (GRE)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Vitoria Guimaraes (POR)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) v Partizan Belgrade (SRB)
Metalist Kharkiv (UKR) v Sochaux (FRA)
Besiktas (TUR) v Alania Vladikavkaz (RUS)
Rosenborg (NOR) v AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Vorskla Poltava (UKR) v Dinamo Bucharest (ROM)
Bursaspor (TUR) v Anderlecht (BEL)
Roma (ITA) v Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Olympiakos Volou (GRE) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Legia Warsaw (POL) v Spartak Moscow (RUS)
FK Ekranas (LTU) v Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR)
PAOK (GRE) v Karpaty Lviv (UKR)
Trabzonspor (TUR) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)
Hearts (SCO) v Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
NK Maribor (SLO) v Rangers (SCO)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v CSKA Sofia (BUL)
Nordsjaelland (DEN) v Sporting Lisbon (POR)
Dnipro (UKR) v Fulham (ENG)
Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) v Spartak Trnava (SVK)
FC Sion (SUI) v Celtic (SCO)
Slask Wroclaw (POL) v Rapid Bucharest (ROM)
Litex Lovech (BUL) v Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
Lazio (ITA) v Rabotnicki (MKD)
Nacional (POR) v Birmingham City (ENG)
PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Ried (AUT)
Thun (SUI) v Stoke City (ENG)
Aalesund (NOR) v AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Vaslui (ROM) v Sparta Prague (CZE)
Omonia (CYP) v Salzburg (AUT)
Zestafoni (GEO) v Club Brugge (BEL)
Hannover (GER) v Sevilla (ESP)
HJK (FIN) v Schalke 04 (GER)
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v AEK (GRE)
Rennes (FRA) v Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Gaz Metan (ROM) v Austria Vienna (AUT)
Braga (POR) v Young Boys (SUI)
Standard Liege (BEL) v Helsingborg (SWE)
Play-offs
1st leg - August 18
2nd leg - August 25
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