Liverpool FC: Who the Reds will play in the Champions League qualifying round – All you need to know
Having finished fourth in the Premier League last season, Liverpool are one tie away from returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2014.
They have to make it through a two-legged play-off - taking place on August 15/16 and August 22/23 – and will discover their opponents in the draw on Friday 4 August from 11am BST, broadcast live on BT Sport 3 in the UK.
Who could Liverpool face?
Liverpool are seeded for the draw on account of their UEFA coefficient score and, having qualified via a fourth place finish, are in the 'League Route' section, as opposed to the half of the draw reserved for national champions (such as Celtic). The Reds will have to overcome one of these five unseeded teams to reach the group stage...
Hoffenheim (Germany)
Last season – The 2016-17 season was Hoffenheim’s ninth consecutive top flight Bundesliga campaign, and the club finished a comfortable fourth, 13 points clear of fifth-placed Cologne. Financial support from owner Dietmar Hopp has transformed the club from a sixth-tier amateur team into a top division side, and this will be Hoffenheim’s first ever European campaign.
UEFA ranking - 125th
Qualified by finishing fourth in the Bundesliga.
Nice (France)
Last season - Well behind champions Monaco and runners up Paris Saint-Germain, Nice nonetheless comfortably took third place in the French top flight. In Europe, they finished bottom of their Europa League group. Mario Balotelli top scored for Nice, with 16 goals in all competitions.
UEFA ranking - 107th
Qualified by finishing third in Ligue 1, then beating Ajax on away goals in the third qualifying round, drawing 1-1 at home and 2-2 away (pictured above).
Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey)
Last season - Formed only in 1990, last season was only the third successive campaign Istanbul Basaksehir have spent in the Turkish top flight. After fourth-place finishes in 2015 and 2016, they finished runners up in 2017, four points behind champions Besiktas. In the Europa League, they exited at the third qualifying round stage, going out on away goals to Croatian club Rijeka.
UEFA ranking - 150th
Qualified by finishing second in the Turkish Super Lig, then beat Club Brugge 5-3 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, drawing 3-3 away (pictured above) and winning 2-0 at home.
Young Boys (Switzerland)
Last season - A distant second to champions Basel (17 points behind) in the Swiss Super League, but well clear of third-placed Lugano (16 points ahead), Young Boys crashed out of the Champions League in the play-off round, losing 2-9 on aggregate to Borussia Monchengladbach. They subsequently exited the Europa League after finishing third in their group.
UEFA ranking - 81st
Qualified by finishing second in the Swiss Super League, then beat Dynamo Kiev on away goals in the third qualifying round, losing 3-1 away, winning the return 2-0.
Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Last season - narrowly missed out on the Romanian league title, on goal difference to Viitorul Constanta. Steaua exited the Champions League in the play-off round, losing 6-0 on aggregate to Manchester City, including a 5-0 home defeat in the first leg. The 1986 European champions then finished bottom of their Europa League group.
UEFA ranking - 76th
Qualified by finishing second in the Romanian league, then beat Viktoria Plzen 6-3 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, drawing 2-2 at home, then winning 4-1 in the away leg.