Hibernian have done the hard part of keeping their European hopes alive, but nobody at Easter Road should confuse survival with comfort. This is where the route through the UEFA Europa Conference League starts to narrow, and Hibs have been placed in Group 2 for the Main Path draw as they wait to see how much harder the next step might become.
The timing matters. Hibernian take part in the Main Path draw at 1pm on Monday, August 3, but only after they first get past KF Shkendija in the third qualifying round. That is the reality of this competition: one draw informs the next, but one tie still has to be won before any play-off opponent becomes relevant.
And Hibs have already shown this campaign can swing sharply. They lost 2-0 to Malisheva in the first leg, then answered in proper fashion with a 4-1 win at Easter Road to overturn the deficit and reach the third qualifying round. That comeback bought them another chance, but it did not buy them any shortcuts.
The immediate task comes first
David Gray’s side now face KF Shkendija on Thursday, August 6 and Thursday, August 13. Until that tie is settled, the conversation about who Hibs might face in the Conference League play-off is only theoretical. The draw placement is useful, but it is not a prize in itself. It simply tells the club what kind of path may open up if they do the job against the side from North Macedonia.
That is the key point here: Hibs are not yet looking at a play-off opponent, they are looking at a two-legged test that will decide whether they get to that stage at all. In European football, that distinction matters. A lot.
There is a wider lesson too. Supporters will always look for the cleanest possible route, and clubs will always hope the draw is kind. But the Conference League has a way of reminding everyone that momentum is fragile. One week you are recovering from a first-leg loss; the next you are staring at the possibility of another step up in difficulty.
For now, Hibs are in the mix, in Group 2, and still alive. That is the good news. The harder news is that the real work starts with Shkendija, and only then does the Main Path draw begin to matter in the way everyone wants it to.
