LOTS OF BRITISH AND IRISH INTEREST IN THE UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND

Ararat Armenia v CS Fola Esch 
Aris Thessaloniki v Kolos Kovalivka 
Astana v Budućnost Podgorica
Backa Topola v Steaua Bucharest 
Botosani v Shkëndija Tetovo
Budapest Honvéd v Malmö FF
Coleraine v Motherwell 
Connah's Quay Nomads v Dynamo Tbilisi 
CSKA Sofia v BATE Borisov
Djurgårdens v College Europa 
Dunajská Streda v FK Baumit Jablonec 
FC Flora Tallinn v Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur 
FC Sfintul Gheorghe v FK Partizan 
FK Borac Banja Luka v Rio Ave 
FK Daugava Riga v Tre Fiori 
FK Kukësi v VfL Wolfsburg 
FK Riteriai v Slovan Liberec 
FK Ventspils v Rosenborg
Hibernians v Videoton FC Fehervar 
IFK Goteborg v FC Copenhagen 
Inter Club d'Escaldes v Dundalk
Kaisar Kyzylorda v Apoel Nicosia 
KS Teuta Durres v Granada 
KuPS Kuopio v Slovan Bratislava 
Laçi v Hapoel Be-er Sheva
Lincoln Red Imps v Rangers 
Linfield v Floriana FC 
Lokomotiv Plovdiv v Tottenham Hotspur 
Lokomotivi Tbilisi v Dinamo Moscow 
Neftchi Baku v Galatasaray 
OFI v Apollon Limassol 
Olimpija Ljubljana v Zrinjski Mostar 
Osijek v Basel 
Piast Gliwice v TSV Prolactal Hartberg 
Renova v Hajduk Split 
Servette v Reims 
Shamrock Rovers v AC Milan 
Sileks v Drita Gjilan 
Standard Liège v Bala Town 
Trakai v Slovan Liberec
Viking FK v Aberdeen

There is lots of interest in the Europa League games this Thursday evening. Tottenham Hotspur go to Bulgarian club Lokomotiv Plovdiv and will be heavy favourites to win. Aside from Bulgaria - Plovdiv have players form Mozambique, Tajikistan, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Brazil, Serbia, Argentina and Portugal in their squad.

There are two Welsh sides left in the competition who both have very tough looking ties. Bala Town go to Standard Liege and Connahs Key Nomads, who lost to Sarajevo in the opening round of the Champions League, have a home game against Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia. 

One of the games of the round has to be Shamrock Rovers v AC Milan - In normal times this would of seen the Tallaght Stadium packed to rafters to see the game against the Italian giants who include Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their squad. Rovers drew 2-2 with Finnish side Illves to get to this stage - they won the penalty shoot 12-11! I'd say it's the biggest game in Europe for Shamrock since their 1986 European Cup First Round tie with Celtic. 

A crowd of 19,750 saw the first leg at Shamrock's old Milltown ground with over 6,000 travelling fans in attendance in South Dublin - It's unconfirmed how many got in to see the game! Murdo MacLeod scored the only goal of the game for Celtic in the 86th minute.

Mo Johnston scored both goals for Celtic in a 2-0 second leg victory in front of 27,670 at Celtic Park. 

GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAM INVOLVED IN EUROPA LEAGUE ACTION ON THURSDAY.