The Champions League play-offs finish this week ahead of Thursday’s league stage draw.
Qualifying for the Champions League proper can be a daunting task. The process began with the first qualifying round in June, with only one team, Slovan Bratislava, taking the gauntlet to reach the play-offs.
Those who competed over the next two days entered the qualification process at different stages, with a couple of batsmen aiming to book their respective spots in the new league phase.
Here’s how 90 minutes think the second stage of the next one Champions League play-off ties will occur.
Tuesday, August 27
There are three games on Tuesday night, and Galatasaray have work to do if they are to progress. The Turkish giants had a tough draw against Swiss club Young Boys, going down to an entertaining 3-2 defeat in the first leg last Wednesday.
Filip Ugrinic’s late penalty saw the home side take a slender lead in the return leg afterwards Michy Batshuayi he had scored a second-half brace for the visitors. Galatasaray will fancy their chances at home, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this tie went the distance.
We’re projecting less drama elsewhere as both Sparta Prague and RB Salzburg won away last week to take home leg advantage. Sparta were very efficient in transition and beat Malmö 2-0, while Salzburg were too good for Dynamo Kyiv.
Expect these two teams to qualify for the league stage at a gallop.
|
Start Time (GMT) |
fixation |
prediction |
|---|---|---|
|
20:00 |
Galatasaray vs Young Boys |
2-1 (4-4 aggregate – Galatasaray win on penalties) |
|
20:00 |
Sparta Prague vs Malmö |
2-0 (4-0 extra) |
|
20:00 |
RB Salzburg vs Dynamo Kyiv |
2-1 (4-1 extra) |
Wednesday August 28
There’s an early kick-off to enjoy on Wednesday, although Qarabag must pull off a mini-miracle if they are to qualify at the expense of Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatians dominated at home last week, and Sandro Kulenovic’s brace surely put the tie beyond Qarabag.
Wednesday’s hosts will need an early goal.
Later, Lille, who defeated Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the third qualifying round, edged past Slavia Prague in France last Tuesday, but their 2-1 lead is certainly precarious. Bruno Genesio’s team will have to go deeper in the Czech Republic if they want to advance.
Bodo/Glimt are in the hunt for their first Champions League spot and have a 2-1 lead to hold on to in the second leg against Red Star Belgrade. However, the Serbian team’s competence at home – they haven’t lost to a home team on their own soil since 2017 – makes their task on Wednesday an all-powerful one.
Slovan Bratislava have already enjoyed quite the qualifying campaign. They beat Struga, Celje and APOEL to reach the play-offs, and a win at home on Wednesday will send them through to the league stage. Midtjylland were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg and this is certainly a tie that could still go either way.
|
Start Time (GMT) |
fixation |
prediction |
|---|---|---|
|
5:45 p.m |
Qarabag vs Dinamo Zagreb |
1-1 (1-4 add) |
|
20:00 |
Red Star Belgrade vs Bodo/Glimt |
2-0 (3-2 extra) |
|
20:00 |
Slovan Bratislava vs Midtjylland |
1-2 (2-3 add) |
|
20:00 |
Slavia Prague vs Lille |
2-1 (2-3 add) |
