[UCL] Divided draw to reach play-offs

The draw for the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League was held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon today.

Under the competition's new qualifying format, the last two rounds prior to the group stage will run along two lines: the "Champions Path" for nations whose title winners do not go straight into the competition proper, including the teams emerging from the second qualifying rounds, and the "Non-Champions Path" for the remainder of the sides.

While 17 of the 20 places in the Champions Path section of the third qualifying round are still to be decided, the five Non-Champions Path ties on 28/29 July and 4/5 August are already known.

UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk will play competition debutants Timisoara, former European champions Celtic encounter Dinamo Moscow, and Anderlecht are up against newcomers Sivasspor.

Group stage regulars Sparta Prague and Panathinaikos come face to face while Sporting Lisbon take on Twente.

The winners of the five Non-Champions Path ties will eventually be paired with one of Arsenal, Lyon, Stuttgart, Atletico Madrid or Serie A side Fiorentina in the play-off round for a spot in the group stage.

Likewise, the ten Champions Path winners will meet each other at the same stage for the remaining five places in the group stage. The draw for both play-off paths takes place on 7 August, with the games scheduled for 18/19 and 25/26 August.

In all, ten teams from the qualification rounds will join the 22 automatic group stage entrants, which includes Italy's Inter, Juventus and AC Milan.

The 2010 UEFA Champions League final will be held at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu on 22 May, the first to be played on a Saturday.

UEFA Champions League 2009-10
Third Qualifying Round: Non-Champions Path
First leg: 28/29 July - Second leg: 4/5 August
Sparta Prague (CZE) 3-1 Panathinaikos (GRE) / Panathinaikos 3-0 Sparta Prague
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 2-2 Timisoara (ROU) / Timisoara a0-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
Sporting Lisbon (POR) 0-0 Twente (NED) / Twente 1-1a Sporting Lisbon
Celtic (SCO) 0-1 Dinamo Moscow (RUS) / Dinamo Moscow 0-2 Celtic
Anderlecht (BEL) 5-0 Sivasspor (TUR) / Sivasspor 3-1 Anderlecht
Third Qualifying Round: Champions Path
First leg: 28/29 July - Second leg: 4/5 August
Salzburg (AUT) 1-1 Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) / Dinamo Zagreb 1-2 Salzburg
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) 0-2 Olympiakos (GRE) / Olympiakos 2-0 Slovan Bratislava
Zurich (SUI) 2-3 Maribor (SVN) / Maribor 0-3 Maribor
APOEL (CYP) 2-0 Partizan Belgrade (SRB) / Partizan Belgrade 1-0 APOEL
Sheriff (MDA) 0-0 Slavia Prague (CZE) / Slavia Prague 1-1a Sheriff
Aktobe (KAZ) 0-0 Maccabi Haifa (ISR) / Maccabi Haifa 4-3 Aktobe
Baki (AZE) 0-0 Levski Sofia (BUL) / Levski Sofia 2-0 Baki
Ventspils (LVA) 1-0 BATE Borisov (BLR) / BATE Borisov 2-1a Ventspils
Levadia Tallinn (EST) 0-1 Debrecen (HUN) / Debrecen 1-0 Levadia Tallinn
Copenhagen (DEN) 3-1 Stabaek (NOR) / Stabaek 0-0 Copenhagen

Source: UEFA