PAOK and OFI learn Europa League playoff sub-groups ahead of Nyon draw, with Conference League fallback also mapped

Greek clubs learned their potential European playoff opponents on Monday morning after UEFA released the sub-groups for the upcoming draws at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The Europa League playoff draw is scheduled for 14:00 local time, followed by the Conference League playoff draw at 15:00.

PAOK's two-path scenario

PAOK enters the day with its future split across two competitions. The Thessaloniki club must first face Anderlecht in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. If PAOK eliminates the Belgian side, it will enter the Europa League playoffs, where it has been placed in the second pot of seeds and avoided several strong possible opponents, including Trabzonspor. In that scenario, PAOK would face one of four opponents: Lillestrøm, the winner of Larne versus Iberia Tbilisi, the loser of Levski Sofia versus Kairat Almaty, or the loser of Slovan Bratislava versus Mjällby. The playoff ties are scheduled for 20 and 27 August, with the winner reaching the Europa League league phase.

If PAOK loses to Anderlecht, it drops into the Conference League playoffs. For that draw, UEFA has placed the club in a sub-group containing the winners of five ties: RFS versus Jablonec, Brann versus Apollon Limassol, Žalgiris Vilnius versus Hajduk Split, Noah versus Sion, and Vaduz versus Inter Turku.

OFI's secured position

OFI, the Greek Cup winner, has already guaranteed a place in the Conference League league phase and therefore enters the Europa League playoff draw as an unseeded team with less pressure. Its sub-group contains four possible opponents: the winner of Benfica versus Hearts, the winner of Maccabi Tel Aviv versus CSKA Sofia, the winner of Lech Poznań versus KÍ Klaksvík, and the winner of Hradec Králové versus Beşiktaş. Greek media reports describe the Maccabi Tel Aviv–CSKA Sofia pairing as the most favourable path, while the Benfica–Hearts and Hradec Králové–Beşiktaş ties are seen as the ones to avoid. PAOK and OFI cannot be drawn against each other at this stage.

Panathinaikos waits on CSKA 1948 result

Panathinaikos will learn its Conference League playoff opponent only if it first eliminates CSKA 1948 in the third qualifying round. UEFA published the club's sub-group on Monday morning, though the specific list of possible opponents was not fully detailed in all reports. The draw will take place at 15:00 in Nyon.

What the draws decide

The two draws in Nyon will set the final qualifying hurdles before the league phases of both competitions. For PAOK, the day provides a complete picture of its European path regardless of the outcome against Anderlecht. For OFI, it is a chance to map the last obstacle to a Europa League group-stage debut. The playoff first legs are set for 20 August, with return legs on 27 August.