Albion will be in pot two for Friday’s Conference League group stage draw, and that immediately gives them a clearer view of what the league phase could look like. In a 36-team format where every side plays three home games and three away games, the draw position matters because it shapes the level of difficulty across the six-match campaign.
The Conference League draw will be split across the different pots, with Albion’s place in the second pot meaning they will avoid some of the competition’s stronger sides, but still face a testing set of fixtures. The league table will then decide who finishes in the top eight, who goes through the ninth to 24th places, and who drops into the bottom 12.
Which potential trips have already gone?
There is also a practical side to the draw for Albion, because some possible away days have already disappeared from consideration after the play-off round. Rangers, Motherwell, Hibs, Shamrock Rovers and Larne were all eliminated, removing those trips from the list of outcomes before Friday’s draw is made.
Hearts, by contrast, came through their tie against Rapid Vienna after a pair of 2-2 draws and a penalty shoot-out. That result keeps another British-interest name in the competition, while also underlining how tight the margins can be in European qualifying.
What Albion know before Friday
For Albion, the key point is simple: they now know they will be in pot two, but they still do not know the six opponents that will define the league phase. The draw will determine whether their path includes trips into familiar territory or a more demanding set of continental tests.
The broader picture is straightforward enough. In this format, the draw is not just a formality; it is the first real clue as to how difficult the campaign will be. Albion have secured a useful position, but the next step on Friday will tell the real story.
