FC Porto will face the Russian team Nizhny Novgorod in the first qualification round to the Basketball Champions League, according to the draw held this Wednesday, at the FIBA headquarters, in Mies, Switzerland. The first leg, scheduled for September 20, is played at Dragão Caixa, and the second, on September 22, will be held in Russia.

If FC Porto beats Nizhny Novgorod, the next opponent will be either Dynamo Tbilisi (Georgia) or Aris Salonica (Greece), for the second qualification round of the competition, with the round scheduled for September 25 and 28. After this second round, six teams will qualify to the Champions League.

The third qualification round is the last one before the group stage, and, if the team gets there, the Dragons already know who they will face: JIP Pardubice, from the Czech Republic. If the Dragons overcome the three qualification rounds, they will be inserted in Group A, along with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (Germany), Sidigas Avellino (Italy), Banvit (Turkey), Anwil (Poland), Le Mans (France), Ventspils (Latvia) and another team coming from the qualification rounds.

In 2017/18, Nizhny Novgorod was seventh in the VTB United League, the championship played by teams from Russia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, and Estonia, and made it to the quarter-finals of the FIBA Europe Cup.