Playoff Draw: Partizan Gets Getafe, Red Star Draws Aarhus

The playoff draw for European qualifying at UEFA headquarters in Nyon kept Partizan fans waiting until the very last moment. The group Partizan had landed in held the fewest clubs, so it was drawn last, after every other pairing was already known. When the ball finally dropped, the name on the screen was the one nobody at Humska wanted to see: Getafe.

Earlier the same day, around noon, the Champions League playoff draw had already been held. There, Red Star came away with a considerably softer hand. As a seeded side, the red and whites drew the winner of the tie between Aarhus (Denmark) and Sabah (Azerbaijan), avoiding LASK and Viking, the two names that had stood out before the draw as the most unpleasant possible opponents.

What Does Getafe Mean for Partizan?

Getafe is a club from the outskirts of Madrid that has spent years living off discipline rather than star names on the shirts. They are coached by Jose Bordalas, whose teams play rough, slow and tactically closed, which makes him the worst possible type of opponent for Partizan in August, while the squad’s form is still coming together. This summer the club lost Luis Milla and Mauro Arambarri, while the arrivals include striker Martin Satriano from Lyon and defender Zaid Romero.

The first leg is set for August 20 in Spain, with the return leg on August 27 in Belgrade. Other possible opponents on that side of the draw were the winners of Twente, DAC Dunajska Streda, Beitar Jerusalem, Austria Vienna and Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Sofia. None of them carried Spanish top flight experience.

Before any of that comes Tobol of Kostanay. The first leg of the third qualifying round is Thursday, August 6, at 9 PM at Humska, with the return leg seven days later in Kazakhstan at 5 PM, which is why Partizan has already rescheduled its league match in Nis. In the second round, Partizan eliminated UNA Strassen of Luxembourg, 4-0 at home and 1-0 away, with the winning goal scored by Bogdan Kostic.

Red Star’s Draw Was Kinder, but the Schedule Is Set

Red Star only reaches the playoff if it gets past Hapoel Beer Sheva. The first match against the Israeli champions is Tuesday, August 4, in Hungary, with the return leg on August 11 at Rajko Mitic Stadium. The squad has already traveled to Szombathely, with every player available for selection.

If they advance, Dejan Stankovic’s team plays the first playoff leg at home on August 18 or 19, with the return leg seven days later in Denmark or Azerbaijan. What makes that tie easier to live with is a guarantee already built in: getting past Hapoel secures Red Star at least a Europa League group stage spot, regardless of how the Champions League race turns out.

Here is the rest of the Champions League playoff draw:

• Levski, Kairat vs AEK
• Dinamo Zagreb, Zalgiris vs Viking
• Celtic vs LASK
• Mjallby, Slovan vs Ararat, Celje
• Olympiacos, NEC vs Union Saint-Gilloise, Bodo/Glimt
• Fenerbahce, Sturm vs Sparta Prague, Lyon

Why This Draw Is Tougher Than It Looks

The number that explains the nerves at Humska is a year: 2022. That is how long it has been since Partizan last played a European group stage. Every summer since has ended in qualifying, and this time the final hurdle is a La Liga club that built its result on defense last season too.

Red Star sits in a different spot. Its competition format works in its favor, since a playoff loss does not mean elimination from Europe but a drop into the Europa League. Partizan has no such safety net. If they fall to Getafe, the season ends with the domestic league and Cup, and the club’s leadership has already announced it would resign should the team miss out on a European autumn.

My assessment is that Red Star got exactly what it needed, an opponent it can approach without fear, and its season will be judged on whether it gets past Hapoel, not on Aarhus. Partizan has been left far less room. The next date on the calendar is Thursday, August 6, 9 PM, at Humska, and only after Tobol does it make sense to talk about Madrid.