Hwang In-beom, Jeong Woo-yeong could face off in Europa League

Olympiacos' players, including Hwang In-beom, second from right, celebrate after scoring the opening goal during a UEFA Europa League playoff match against Apollon Limassol in Piraeus, Greece. [EPA/YONHAP]

Hwang In-beom joins Jeong Woo-yeong as the second Korean player to earn a spot in the 2022-23 Europa League, after Olympiacos beat Apollon Limassol on penalties in the qualifiers on Thursday.

Hwang player for 79 minutes of the second leg game against Apollon at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece, leaving the field with the Greek side up 1-0. A 90th-minute equalizer pushed the game into extra time, with Olympiacos going on to win a penalty shootout 3-1 after 120 minutes.

Thursday's game was Hwang's second proper appearance with the Greek club after joining last month. His first appearance was in the first leg of the qualifier, when he scored Olympiacos' only goal to tie that game at 1-1, leaving the overall score at 2-2 on aggregate and forcing the penalty shootout.

Hwang started his career with Daejeon Citizen in the K League and stayed with the club as they were immediately relegated to the K League 2. He joined the Whitecaps in 2019 and spent a year playing in the United States before moving to Rubin Kazan in Russia. His career in Russia came to an abrupt end earlier this year, forcing him back to Seoul, where he played for just over three months before moving to Olympiacos.

With the qualification, Hwang joins Korean squad teammate Jeong Woo-yeong in the second-tier continental tournament. Jeong plays for German club SC Freiburg, who earned an automatic ticket to the Europa League after finishing sixth in the Bundesliga last season.

There could end up being three Koreans in the Europa League, as Bordeaux striker Hwang Ui-jo looks set to join Hwang In-beom at Olympiacos on a trade-and-loan that is expected to see him bought by Premier League club Nottingham Forest and then immediately shipped off the to the Greek side.

Olympiacos and Freiburg fall into different pots for the Europa League draw — Olympiacos in Pot 1 and Freiburg in Pot 3 — so there is a chance that the two clubs could end up in the same group.

Hong Hyun-seok of K.A.A. Gent will not get to see any Europa League action in his debut season with the Belgian club, after losing 2-0 to Cypriot side Omonia on Thursday. The loss, which takes the score on aggregate to 4-0, knocks Ghent out of the competition and down to the Europa Conference League.

Barring any last-minute trades over the next five days, Hong is the only Korean set to play in the 2022-23 Europa Conference League.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]