Zenit St. Petersburg set to clash with AEL Limassol in the Champions League competition

Zenit to Face AEL Limassol in UEFA Champions League Qualifiers

Russian football club Zenit Saint Petersburg will commence their UEFA Champions League campaign against Cypriot side AEL Limassol in the third qualifying round. This was decided following the draw for the Champions Route, which also pitted several other intriguing match-ups.

In another exciting tie, FC Sion of Switzerland will go head-to-head with Zenit's opponent in the third qualifying round. The winner of this encounter will progress to the play-off round. Meanwhile, Rabotnicki or HJK Helsinki will meet APOEL, and Sparta Prague or Levadia Tallin will face Malmo or Ventspils.

Should Zenit advance from their current tie, they will encounter Legia Warsaw or Dublin-based St Patrick's Athletic in the next round. Elsewhere, Zrinjski or Maribor will face either Santa Coloma or Maccabi Tel-Aviv, if they progress.

Last season, Zenit reached the round of 16 but were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund. The Russian club will be aiming to go one step further this time around. Copenhagen, who finished bottom of Group B last season, will face Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

In a potential nearby fixture, Scottish champions Celtic could advance past KR at Celtic Park. Cliftonville or Debrecen will meet BATE Borisov or KC Skenderbeu in the next round, while Lille's next opponent is Grasshoppers of Switzerland. Standard Liege will host Panathinaikos of Greece in their next match.

The draw also saw Red Bull Salzburg, who made the final 16 of the Europa League, face Valletta or Qarabag. Feyenoord's first European test of the post-Ronald Koeman era will be against Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas.

Unfortunately, no UEFA competition matches will be played in Israel until further notice, according to UEFA's ruling. This means that Maccabi Tel-Aviv may lose home advantage for their upcoming tie, due to the current security situation in Israel.

Meanwhile, Ludogorets or F91 Dudelange will play Partizan or HB Torshavn in another enthralling encounter. AEL Limassol reached the group stage in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League season, adding another layer of intrigue to their tie against Zenit.

The UEFA Champions League qualifiers promise to be a thrilling spectacle, with several exciting match-ups on the horizon. Keep an eye on these ties as the action unfolds.