Linfield v Shelbourne

[fugsyphil]

These two played in champions league qualifying and are now due to play in the conference league qualifying!?!

How does that happen?

[JamesWales]

Uefa (rightly) give greater chances to league champions, so if you lose in the champions league qualifiers then you will drop down to the Conference League or Europa League, depending on when you went out.

So in the champions league first qualifying round, Shelbourne beat Linfield over two legs. Linfield dropped to the Conference League and have subsequently progressed further.

Shelbourne stayed in the champions league and then lost in the next round and so they themselves dropped down to the Conference league and then progressed further to the point they now meet Linfield again, over two legs. It's very coincidental and actually unfortunate for them both as it's probably the toughest draw Linfield could have got and one of the toughest draws Shelbourne could have got.

Will be interesting ties though. Shelbourne struggling this season but the better side when they met before and clearly some needle between the teams as Linfield are the most unionist of Northern Irelands teams.