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Europa League: Bala Town face Standard Liege in second qualifying round

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Europa League: Bala Town boss Colin Caton aiming to stun Standard Liege

Bala Town will travel to Standard Liege in the Europa League second qualifying round despite being drawn at home.

Bala have announced that the venue for the tie will be switched, meaning they will play behind closed doors at the 27,670-capacity Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Connah's Quay Nomads, who drop into the competition after being knocked out of the Champions League, have been drawn at home to Dinamo Tbilisi of Georgia.

Wrexham's Racecourse Stadium will host the game on 17 September.

The New Saints face a trip to the Faroe Islands to play B36 T贸rshavn.

The one-legged ties are set to be played on 17 September.

Should Bala cause a shock by overcoming Liege, they will be at home to Serbian side FK Vojvodina in the third qualifying round.

The reward on offer for The New Saints is a trip to face either CSKA Sofia, of Bulgaria, or Belarusian side BATE Borisov.

If they get past Tbilisi, Connah's Quay will follow the Saints to the Faroe Islands to play KI Klaksvik, with the third qualifying round due to take place on 24 September.

Bala could also have been drawn against Scottish side Aberdeen or Dutch club Willem II in the second qualifying round, and manager Colin Caton feels Standard Liege is the toughest tie his team could have faced.

"We would have preferred one of the other two but we have just got to get on with it now," Caton said.

"It's so difficult to come up against the calibre of opposition we were drawn against in that pack, but Standard Liege is the standout one for me.

"I think they've drawn one game and won the rest this season, so it's going to be a really tough game.

"It's a massive task for us to try to get any result but we have got so much faith in the lads we've signed and the lads we've had with us over the last few years. There have been bigger shocks in football."

Image source, John Smith/Football Association of Wakes
Image caption,

New Saints beat Slovakia's M艩K 沤ilina 3-1 in the previous round

The New Saints will be on familiar territory when they face B36 Torshavn, having played them in the first qualifying round of the Champions League in the 2015-16 season.

The Welsh club progressed from that two-legged tie, winning 2-1 in the Faroe Islands and 4-1 at home.

Saints manager Scott Ruscoe was assistant boss to Craig Harrison at the time.

"We have travelled there before, so it's not one that's the unknown which is quite nice," he said.

"Obviously we would have liked a home draw but we can't get everything - we had that in the last round.

"Let's embrace it. We put on a good performance in the first round so why not? It's all about believing how good you are and preparing in the right manner."

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