UEFA Europa League: Trabzonspor to face AEK in playoffs

By Fatih Erel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish top-tier football league club Trabzonspor will face Greece's AEK Athens in the UEFA Europa League playoff round on Thursday.

In the first leg of the playoff match in OAKA Spyros Louis stadium, Trabzonspor will try to gain advantage in Athens before the second leg match at home.

After eliminating Czech opponents Sparta Prague, Trabzonspor qualified for the playoffs while AEK eliminated Romania's Universitatea Craiova to advance the playoff round.

Here are the first leg matches of Europa League playoff round on Thursday:

Suduva (LTU) v Ferencvaros (HUN)

Kobenhavn (DEN) v Riga FC (LVA)

Celtic (SCO) v AIK (SWE)

Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Dudelange (LUX)

Ludogorets (BUL) v Maribor (SVN)

Linfield (NIR) v Qarabag (AZE)

Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v PAOK (GRE)

Astana (KAZ) v BATE Borisov (BLR)

Torino (ITA) v Wolverhampton Wanderers (ENG)

Legia Warszawa (POL) v Rangers (SCO)

FCSB (ROU) v Vitoria SC (POR)

PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Apollon Limassol (Greek Cypriot side)

AEK Athens (GRE) v Trabzonspor (TUR)

Feyenoord (NED) v Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)

Gent (BEL) v Rijeka (CRO)

Espanyol (ESP) v Zorya Luhansk (UKR)

Partizan (SRB) v Molde (NOR)

Braga (POR) v Spartak Moskva (RUS)

Malmo (SWE) v Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Strasbourg (FRA) v Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Royal Antwerp (BEL)