Swede dreams for Linfield

Irish Premier League champions Linfield have been drawn against Swedish side Elfsborg in the Champions League first qualifying round.

Welsh Premier League winners The New Saints - formerly known as TNS - will face Latvian champions Ventspils, while Derry City will face Armenian Premier League side Pyunik.

The ties will be played over two legs on July 17/18 and 24/25.

In the second round, Rangers will meet the winners of the match between Zeta and Kaunas, while Austrian side Salzburg will await The New Dragons should they progress.

Derry would face a tricky clash with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk if they make it through and a game with Hungarian side Debrecen would await Linfield should they defeat their first-round opponents.

The games will be played over two legs on July 31-August 1 and August 7-8 with the winners progressing into the third qualifying round, where they will be met by another 18 teams entering at that stage.

The 32 clubs in the third round will then compete for the 16 remaining places in the Champions League group stage.