Polissja "sees" Fiorentina: 3-0 against Paks, one foot in the playoffs. The results from Europe and the Conference

If tonight's game isn't a serious guarantee of advancement, Hungarian side Paks will have a tough time in the return leg on August 14th. The Europa League and Conference League qualifiers took place today, and Fiorentina will have been closely watching the match between Polissja Zytomyr and Paks, as one of the two teams will face Fiorentina in the preliminary round (first leg on August 21st, return a week later at the Franchi) to secure a spot in the Conference group stage. Ukrainian side Polissja had an easy time at home: a resounding 3-0 win forced Paks to perform a feat in the return leg scheduled for the eve of mid-August to secure a match against Pioli's team.

The first leg of the third qualifying round has been played in the Europa League (with Tottenham as the defending champion, the final on May 20, 2026, in Istanbul). Ten matches are scheduled: Midtjylland and Braga performed well, while the day's big match between Panathinaikos and Shakhtar drew 0-0.

Many more matches are scheduled in the third UEFA competition, now in its fifth edition. The third qualifying round is also taking place here: Anderlecht crushed Sheriff, while a superb Abraham hat-trick gave Besiktas a 4-1 victory over St. Patrick's. Fiorentina will also be there for the fourth consecutive year, after reaching the final in 2022-23 and 2023-24, having been stopped in the final by West Ham and then Olympiacos. Pioli's team will make their playoff debut on August 21st away (in Ukraine or Hungary), before competing for a place in the group stage on the 28th at the Stadio Franchi. But let's take a look at all today's results in detail.

The results of the first leg of the third preliminary round, return leg on August 14:

• Fredrikstad-Midtjylland 1-3
• Lincoln Red Imps-Noah 1-1
• Cluj-Sporting Braga 1-2
• Aek Larnaca-Legia Warsaw 4-1
• Hacken-Brann 0-2
• Paok Thessaloniki-Wolfsberger 0-0
• Zrinjski Mostar-Breidablik 1-1
• Panathinakos-Shaktar Donetsk 0-0
• Servette-Utrecht 1-3
• FCSB-Drita 3-2

The results of the first leg of the third preliminary round, return leg on August 14:

• Rosenborg-Hammarby 0-0
• Spyris Kaunas-Arda Kardzhali 0-1
• Araz-Naxçivan Pfk-Omonia Nicosia 0-4
• Aris Limassol-AEK Athens 2-2
• Milsami-Virtus 3-2
• Banik Ostrava-Austria Wien 4-3
• Silkeborg-Jagiellonia 0-1
• Viking-Istanbul Basaksehir 1-3
• Aik-Gyor 2-1
• Riga-Beitar Jerusalem 3-0
• Differdange-Levadia Tallinn 1-3
• Polissja Zytomyr-Paks 3-0 (one of the two will be Fiorentina's opponents)
• Levski Sofia-Sabah 1-0
• Olimpia Ljubljana-Egnatia 0-0
• Alkmaar-Vaduz 3-0
• Sparta Prague-Ararat-Armenia 4-1
• Vikingur Gota-Linfield 2-1
• Anderlecht-Sheriff Tiraspol 3-0
• Lausanne-Astana 3-1
• Universitatea Craiova-Spartak Trnava 3-0
• Lugano-Celje 0-5
• Ballkani-Shamrock Rovers 1-0
• St Patricks 1-4 Besiktas
• Vikingur Reykjavik-Brondby 3-0
• Rakow Czestochowa-Maccabi Haifa 0-1
• Partizan-Hibernian 0-2
• Larne-Santa Clara 0-3
• Rapid Wien-Dundee United 2-2
• Hajduk Split-Dinamo Tirana 2-1