Hibs discover possible Conference League opponent if Malisheva defeated as two possibilities await
Here’s who Hibs will play in the next round of the Conference League - if they defeat Malisheva.
Hibs have discovered who comes next in the third qualifying round of the Conference League - if they get past Malisheva.
The Premiership side swapped seeding in the second round for the unseeded pots in this draw and will take on either NK Bravo of Slovenia or North Macedonia’s Shkendija. Leg one will be at Easter Road on August 6 before the away trip on August 13 barring any necessary changes to the schedule.
David Gray’s side are in Kosovo this week for the first leg of their second round qualifier as a seeded side on July 23. Sweltering heat will hit them on foreign soil but they will hope to bring a positive result back to Easter Road a week later for the return match.
Who will Hibs face in the next round of the Conference League?
Tougher tests on paper emerged from their possible third round opponents selection on Monday morning. The winner of NK Bravo vs Shkendija, Santa Colma (Andorra) vs Rapid Vienna (Austria), Rakow (Poland) vs Valletta FC (Malta), Rijeka (Croatia) vs Derry City (Ireland) or FC Polissya (Ukraine) vs Copenhagen (Denmark) were the options available to Hibs. It’s Slovenia or North Macedonia that await them in an arguably kinder draw than more renowned names like Copenhagen would have offered but it will still be a tough tie.
After scoring a brace at the weekend against Brondby in a 2-1 friendly win, new striker Nathan Lowe said ahead of the Malisheva fixtures: “First and foremost, I'm loving the city. It's honestly stunning and one of the nicest places I've ever been, and the lads have been really nice to me. I feel like I'm gelling quite well, so on that front, it's been really good, and then it's just nice to be able to get out there in front of the fans.
“Hopefully they like what they saw in 45 minutes, and I can provide some entertainment this season. It's a stunning ground, really, really nice, and even walking in from the car park, it takes your breath away a little bit. I can imagine on derby days that it's going to be a spectacle to see and to be a part of, so these are days that I'm really looking forward to.
Nathan Lowe on Hibs debut
“It couldn't have gone much better, but it's just a shame it's a pre-season game and it doesn't actually count on the CV. It was good to get 45 minutes, which are the first for me in pre-season personally, so that was nice. I'm still getting up to speed on the other stuff, the movements and learning about my teammates, so there's a lot of stuff to be done with that, but I think it was a positive start.
“I wouldn't say I expected to score that quickly, but I would have put pressure on myself to score at least one, and two is an added bonus. I knew I was playing 45 minutes at least, so I'd like to have thought I'd have scored, but to score two minutes apart was very fortunate, and it was a great ball for the second one as well.”