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Dundalk could be handed a dream, if daunting, clash against the mighty Ajax in the Europa League qualifiers - providing they can negotiate a route past Slovan Bratislava first.
The League of Ireland champions travel to Slovakia on Wednesday for the first leg of their third round clash, with the return leg at Oriel Park on August 13th.
And if they are victorious, they will face the either Ajax or PAOK in the next round - with those two sides meeting in the Champions League qualifiers.
The loser will drop into the Europa League qualifiers, meaning the Dutch giants could be bound for Ireland.
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The four-time European Cup winners reached the semi-finals of last year’s competition, missing out on a place in the final after they were beaten by Tottenham Hotspur on away goals after Lucas Moura’s last-minute strike.
Should the two sides meet in the next round, Erik ten Hag’s side would travel to Ireland for the first leg.
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