Who are FCSB's players to watch?published at 19:41 BST 21 August
19:41 BST 21 August
Aberdeen v FCSB (19:45)
Liam McLeod BBC Sport Scotland
FCSB have recent pedigree and in Romania striker Daniel Birligea they have a man who scored 21 times last season and has continued that form into this campaign.
In midfielder Juri Cisotti, they have a 32-year-old who is hitting his best in his twilight playing years, with FCSB owner Gigi Bicali confident the Italian could be the difference against the Dons.
Former Hearts and St Mirren defender Mihai Popescu has forced himself into the international reckoning this year during the latter part of his career.
The club waited nine years for league title success but have just gone back-to-back despite their troubles early on this term. Last year began in a similar fashion before they roared to the finish line with an unbeaten run of 24 matches.
Another recent addition to both FCSB and the national team has been striker Dennis Politic, who was brought in from Dinamo Bucharest in the summer and has already been seduced by the confidence of his chairman.
"It will be a tough match against Aberdeen," he said. "But the boys on the team beat much tougher opponents last year.
"We have to go modestly from the first match, motivated, so I don't think we will have any problems."
'Every game gets harder' - Graypublished at 19:38 BST 21 August
19:38 BST 21 August
Hibernian v Legia Warsaw (20:00)
Hibernian head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "They're a strong, physical side, as you'd expect. That comes with its own threat, but we knew we were going to face it. It's the final hurdle.
"Every game gets harder because of the prize at the end of it. We need to take positives and confidence from coming through the ties we've come through. We've learnt a lot about the group, been through some adversity already.
"This is another real tough test, but when we play to the level we can, we're a very good side as well. We'll have to do that again.
"This is why a lot of the players came here, to test yourself against top European teams. We can't go into it in any better form, any better frame of mind.
"The football club is in a really good place, and we need to enjoy that."
Game comes too soon for Morris - Thelinpublished at 19:34 BST 21 August
19:34 BST 21 August
Aberdeen v FCSB (19:45)
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "[Shayden Morris] is available for the next game, but we don't take any risks today - it's too early.
"It's going to be a typical cup game. We have to be very stable in performance.
"We are at home so we have to be strong in attacking them, but they are a good transition team so we need to be stable in that part and not give them anything.
"We believe in ourselves and focus on our qualities and what we can do."
What Hibs can expect from Legia Warsawpublished at 19:30 BST 21 August
19:30 BST 21 August
Hibernian v Legia Warsaw (20:00)
Image source, SNS
Legia Warsaw are arguably Poland's most successful club, largely thanks to them winning the Ekstraklasa title seven times in nine years from 2012.
However, the last of those seven victories, in 2020-21, remains their most recent of their record 15 top-flight titles - and they finished fifth last season, 26 points adrift of champions Lech Poznan.
They sit fifth in the embryonic new Ekstraklasa season, losing their last league game against Wisla Plock after two wins and a draw to start their campaign.
They are in Europa Conference League qualifying because they lost 5-3 on aggregate over two legs against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.
Their squad includes Poland midfielder Damian Szymanski, who is on the bench tonight.
Former Wolves and Everton left-back Ruben Vinagre also joined this summer, signing from Sporting in his homeland Portugal, and starts.
Visa issue rules out FCSB triopublished at 19:27 BST 21 August
19:27 BST 21 August
Aberdeen v FCSB (19:45)
A visa issue has ruled three FCSB players out of tonight's Europa League play-off first leg with Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Montenegrin left-back Risto Radunovic, South African centre-half Siyabonga Ngezana and Ghanaian midfielder Baba Alhassan have all made the trip to Scotland, but will now not be involved.
The trio had to stay at the team hotel on Wednesday night instead of training at Pittodrie before a final decision on the matter.
"We couldn't manage to fix the Visa for the boys - I don't know exactly the reason," manager Elias Charalambous tells BBC Scotland.
"But I believe these situations should be solved much easier especially for football games.
"It's the situation now, we have to find the solutions - there are no excuses from us."
The FCSB manager made it clear the players were not detained and says they were treated well by officials at the airport.
'Pin it on the dressing room wall!'published at 19:20 BST 21 August
19:20 BST 21 August
Aberdeen v FCSB (19:45)
Liam McLeod BBC Sport Scotland
Controversial FCSB owner Gigi Becali caused a bit of a stir in the north-east of Scotland after his club set up a Europa League play-off against Aberdeen.
Becali is so confident of his club progressing that he has apparently already accounted for the money his side will rake in for reaching the league phase of a tournament they performed well in last season.
Whether Dons boss Jimmy Thelin is the kind of manager who pins disparaging remarks made from the opposition camp to his changing room wall is unknown, but they have certainly added some edge to the tie.
Gray rotates heavily from League Cup winpublished at 19:11 BST 21 August
19:11 BST 21 August
Hibernian v Legia Warsaw (20:00)
Unsurprisingly, David Gray has restored most of the team that have got Hibernian to this point in Conference League qualifying.
Jordan Smith returns in goal, Rocky Bushiri is at the heart of the defence, Chris Cadden is on the right and Josh Mulligan partners Dylan Levitt in midfield.
Up top, Kieron Bowie is restored to play alongside Martin Boyle.
The only slight surprise is Josh Campbell keeps his place, with Jamie McGrath on the bench. Thibault Klidje is also named among the substitutes, despite impressing in the win over Livingston.
Can Aberdeen & Hibs save week?published at 19:00 BST 21 August
19:00 BST 21 August
Image source, SNS
Image source, SNS
It's over to Aberdeen and Hibs to rescue the week for Coefficient FC.
The Dons, already guaranteed a Conference League place as a safety net, welcome Romanian champions FCSB in the first leg of their Europa League play-off.
You'll be able to watch that live on the BBC.
Hibs, hoping for a Conference spot, are also at home. Legia Warsaw are the visitors to Easter Road.
Josh Mulligan made it two goals in two games after his fine strike against Livingston on Sunday
At a glance
Hibs trail by a goal going into second leg of Conference League play-off
Josh Mulligan's late strike rescues poor performance against wasteful Legia Warsaw
Goals from Jean-Pierre Nsame and Paweł Wszolek had the Polish side cruising at Easter Road
ByAndrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland
Josh Mulligan's late strike resuscitated Hibernian's hopes of progressing to the Conference League as they emerged from the first leg of their play-off with Legia Warsaw at Easter Road trailing 2-1.
For much of this game, it looked like David Gray's side's European adventure had run its course as they put in a tired-looking performance and found themselves two goals down.
Rocky Bushiri's first-half handball resulted in a penalty that Jean-Pierre Nsame smashed high into the net, before Pawel Wszolek added a second on the stroke of half-time.
And in a moment that could prove pivotal, Legia had a third ruled out in the second-half after a lengthy VAR intervention. Bartosz Kapustka had tucked home what looked to be a tie-ender, but Wszolek was offside earlier in the build-up.
That lifeline buoyed Hibs and swung momentum back in their favour for the first time since the opening 10 minutes.
Mulligan was the beneficiary, getting onto a cross at the back post and reacting quickest when his initial shot was blocked to poke it under the keeper.
It could have easily gone another way, as Legia spurned a few golden chances to wrap the game up at 3-0.
Vahan Bichakhchyan missed the best of them, as he skied over from the back post when he was completely unmarked. Nsame missed another.
But Hibs were also guilty of missing a couple of sitters. Bushiri headed over and Thibault Klidje glanced wide from one of a series of Chris Cadden deliveries.
Come the end of the game in Warsaw, Hibs could still come to rue those chances but at the moment, Mulligan has given hope to his side.
Hibs analysis: No excuse for tired legs after rotation
The line-up against Livingston in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday was the first time David Gray had rolled the dice and rested some of his European XI.
Those who missed out all came back in, but a tiredness haunted the starters at Easter Road as they struggled to get their second wind after a fast start.
The opening of the game was very physical, with Josh Campbell and Kieron Bowie wearing sore ones early on. It took the wind out of Hibs' sails and allowed Legia to get a foothold.
Hibs' haven't found themselves behind too often in recent times, but the experience of coming back against Partizan must have been in their minds as they grew in confidence towards the end of the game.
There were plenty of chances missed, so they go to Warsaw knowing they can cause problems for Legia, but they must be far more clinical if they are to make it to the group stage of a European competition for the very first time.
Reaction to Hibs' defeat on the Scottish Football Podcast
Hibernian head coach David Gray: "This tie is very much still alive. We've already said to the players that we went to Midtjylland, we went to Partizan, and had huge performances and results. We're going to need to do that again.
"It's big moments in the game. To goal just before half time was a poor goal. You can talk about the penalty but we're not going to do that. We can't affect that now.
"Clearly the one that's the factual one on the offside was a big moment in the game. If that goes 3-0, it's a very different night.
"I thought we had really good, clear-cut chances and should have done better with them. But I've just reminded the players that we've gone toe-to-toe with a team that went to the quarter-finals of the competition last season."
What's next for Hibernian?
Hibs exercised their right to postpone this weekend's Premiership game with Falkirk, giving them more time to recover for the second leg of this clash.
That takes place next Thursday at Stadion Wojska Polskiego (20:00 BST).
Liam McLeod
Image source, SNS
