Europa League: Shamrock Rovers host Milan, Spurs face Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn away to Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, while Milan will visit Shamrock Rovers in one of the draw’s more intriguing ties.
José Mourinho’s side have never previously faced the Bulgarian club, who overcame Iskra Danilovgrad of Montenegro in the previous round. Lokomotiv last faced an English club in the 2005-06 Uefa Cup, when they were beaten by Bolton.
Rangers will face a familiar name, as Steven Gerrard’s side were given an away tie against Lincoln Red Imps. The Gibraltarian side beat Celtic 1-0 in Brendan Rodgers’s first game in charge, in July 2016.
Shamrock Rovers, runners-up in last year’s League of Ireland, will welcome the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the Tallaght Stadium on 17 September. Rovers qualified for the second round with a 12-11 penalty shootout win against Finland’s Ilves Tampere last week. All games will be contested over a single leg and behind closed doors.
Elsewhere, Aberdeen will travel to Norway to take on Viking Stavanger while Motherwell face Northern Irish opposition for the second round running. Having beaten Glentoran 5-1 in the first round the manager, Stephen Robinson, faces a trip back to his homeland to play Coleraine, who eliminated Maribor in the first round.
The Welsh sides Bala Town and Connah’s Quay Nomads are at home against Standard Liege and Dinamo Tbilisi respectively, while the New Saints will travel to the Faroe Islands to play Torshavn. The League of Ireland champions Dundalk face the Andorran club Inter Club d’Escaldes, and Linfield will face Floriana of Malta.
Arsenal and Leicester City will begin their campaigns in the group stage, while Celtic will enter the third qualifying round after their Champions League defeat against Ferencvaros.