Shakhtar Donetsk will meet Turkish side Sivasspor in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa League. The Ukrainians dropped into the revamped competition after losing their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie to Timisoara on away goals, and face a return to the country in which they lifted the UEFA Cup three months ago in Istanbul.

Roma, who have been more used to the Champions League in recent years, meet Slovakians Kosice. Despite the drop in standard, the Italian club's captain Francesco Totti is keen to make the most of the chance to become the first winners of the Europa League.

This is an important competition. I hope to go as far as possible but the first target is to reach the group stage.
Roma's Francesco Totti

"This is an important competition," he said. "Winning the trophy would guarantee our team a place in the history books. I hope to go as far as possible in this competition, but the first target is to reach the group stage as we have another round to get through first."

Roma's city rivals Lazio face Elfsborg, while Genoa, who narrowly missed out on fourth place in Serie A last season, are up against Danish opposition in the shape of Odense. Valencia, 2004 UEFA Cup winners and Champions League regulars, take on Norwegian side Stabaek, with fellow Spaniards Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao squaring off against NAC Breda and Tromso respectively.

Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde is wary of the threat posed by the Dutch side. "We have to keep an eye out against NAC and we have to be careful," he said. "We are talking about a team from the Dutch league, which is competitive and where they play good football.

"We know that we are favourites but the truth is that in these type of knockout matches that doesn't matter. They are a team who have already started their league, they have had a game, played two matches in Europe. What worries me the most is that my team is competitive in both games."

Zenit, UEFA Cup winners in 2008, face Portuguese side Nacional, from the island of Madeira. Hamburg take on French Cup winners Guingamp in the play-off round, while fellow Bundesliga sides Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin are up against Aktobe of Kazakhstan and Denmark's Brondby respectively.

We really want to get into the group stage and to do that we have to cross this hurdle. But we have been warned because last year they won the French Cup.
Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia on opponents Guingamp

Bruno Labbadia, coach of Hamburg, believes Guingamp will provide his team with a stern test. "Of course we really want to get into the group stage and to do that we have to cross this hurdle, which is Guingamp," he said. "But we have been warned because last year they won the French Cup."

Estonian hurdle for Rijkaard
As well as Guingamp, France are represented by Lille, who take on Belgian side Genk, and Toulouse, whose opposition will be provided by Turkish side Trabzonspor. Dutch giants Ajax and PSV encounter Slovan Bratislava and Bnei Yehuda respectively, while Twente should have little difficulty facing Qarabag from Azerbaijan.

Frank Rijkaard, a Champions League-winning coach with Barcelona in 2006, will hope to steer Galatasaray to glory in a competition they won in 2000. They begin their 2009/10 campaign against Estonian side Levadia Tallinn.

The ties will be played on 20 and 27 August.