From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png


Champions League 1st Qualifying Round 1st Leg
* = seeded team


Who cares about some tournament half a world away - this is where it's
at. There are no hydration breaks of any sort to be found here, and
red cards stay red cards.

As every year, this is a hugely important qualifying round for the
champions of smaller countries. Getting through CLQ1 means having three
more shots at qualifying for a European league stage while the losers
are unceremoniously dumped into the Conference League qualifiers with a mountain left to climb.

Following the -aamrun Spartans' successful Conference League campaign
last season, only three UEFA countries are left to never have featured
in a group/league stage - San Marino, Andorra, and Montenegro.



July 7


Sabah FK (AZE) v The New Saints FC (WAL)* 2-0 (0-0)
(Simi-c 66', Parris 84'; Red Card: Solvet (Sab) 90'+2)

Serbian winger Veljko Simi-c, three years ago capped once for his
country, headed in a corner kick by Polish left-back Tymoteusz Puchacz
to give the maiden Azeri champions the lead, and former Jamaican
international Kaheem Parris made it two from Simi-c's excellent through
ball: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534911/187965-Record_2026_07_07_20_03_19_508.mp4
Late on Sabah's Guadeloupean centre-back Steve Solvet saw a second
yellow.


Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)* v Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) 3-1 (2-1)
(Nano 16' (pen), Toledano 26', |Ulvarez 67'; Rutjens 45'+2 (og))

Unlike some other 41-year-olds I could think of the Red Imps' Spanish
midfield general Nano, Greek cup winner with Panathinaikos all the way
back in 2014, proved incisive for his team when he converted an early
penalty, awarded for a foul by Inter's Moroccan-Spanish centre-back
Jaouad Erraji on the top scorer of last year's Gibraltarian League Manu Toledano. Nano also provided the cross that Toledano, born in La L|!nea
de la Concepci||n just across the border, converted at the second attempt
for the Red Imps' second: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534912/187960-Record_2026_07_07_19_57_21_892.mp4
Just before half-time Dutch-Spanish centre-back Christian Rutjens, one
Serie A minute for Benevento in 2018 under his belt, slid into a cross
and the ball looped over Red Imps keeper Nauzet Santana to halve the
deficit: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534912/187930-Record_2026_07_07_19_00_36_151.mp4
but Argentine winger Facundo |Ulvarez scored from a goalmouth scramble
after a corner kick to restore the comfortable lead for the Gibraltarian champions: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534912/187941-Record_2026_07_07_19_26_30_109.mp4


FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Riga FC (LAT)* 2-0 (0-0)
(Oliveira 63', Fran|oa 86'; Red Card: Orols (Rig) 72')

Portuguese right-back Hugo Oliveira scored a shambolic goal to give the Armenian champions the lead: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534913/187939-Record_2026_07_07_19_21_11_482.mp4
and after Riga goalkeeper Frenks Orols had been sent off for slapping
away a goal-bound lob way outside his penalty area, Brazilian striker
Carlos Fran|oa, who had found his way to Armenia from S|-rie C via
Bulgaria, India, and Indonesia, made it two from a solo run: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534913/187952-Record_2026_07_07_19_44_02_242.mp4


FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU) v KF Drita (KOS)* 1-1 (1-0)
(Benchaib 24'; Blerim Krasniqi 82')

Belgian-Moroccan midfielder Amine Benchaib scored with a great volley
after a corner kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534924/187910-Record_2026_07_07_18_25_18_67.mp4
Blerim Krasniqi (not related to Drita captain Besnik Krasniqi) headed in
a deserved equaliser from a good cross by former Congolese (the other
Congo, not the one from the World Cup) international Raddy Ovouka.


FK Vardar (MKD) v KuPS (FIN)* 0-2 (0-1)
(Magassa 45', Armah 49'; Red Card: Bosan-ii-c (Var) 75')

Vardar's veteran keeper Davor Taleski flapped at Ghanaian left-back
Clinton Antwi's corner kick, and Kuopio's new French signing from
Ligue 3 Brahima Magassa headed into the empty net. Bob Nii Armah, the
other Ghanaian in the squad of the Finnish champions, made it two by
slotting in a loose ball. Nemanja Bosan-ii-c got sent off with a second
yellow for throwing an elbow against Kuopio's captain Petteri Pennanen.


Floriana FC (MLT) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)* 2-0 (1-0)
(Muri-c 45'+1, Jah 79'; Red Card: Healy (Sha) 58')

A bit of a surprise, as Floriana try to follow in the footsteps of the
-aamrun Spartans last year. Newly signed former Croatian youth
international Robert Muri-c, whose career never took off despite getting
shots at top level football with Ajax, Pescara, and Braga, gave the
Maltese the lead with a nice solo effort capped off with a shot into the
far corner. The League of Ireland leaders then further weakened
themselves when Matt Healy got sent off with a second yellow for a
tactical foul, and against ten men young Gambian striker Mustapha Jah
made it two by volleying in the rebound from a shot by Argentine
midfielder Federico Varela: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534915/187988-Record_2026_07_07_21_07_06_818.mp4


SP Tre Fiori (SMR) v Larne FC (NIR)* 0-1 (0-1)
(Lusty 45')

Matt Lusty tapped in the sole goal from close range after Sam McLelland
had headed down a looping cross.
As I wrote above there are no hydration breaks in CLQ1, but there is
VAR, and it cancelled a second Larne goal for a foul in the build-up.


FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH)* v PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) 1-1 (1-0)
(Juri-ii-c 9' (pen); Oko-Flex 55')

Probably the highest-profile match in this round, and the only one
featuring a team from a country that played in the World Cup.
The Bosnian champions took an early lead from the spot following a
ludicrous tackle from behind by Nikola Serafimov on Austrian journeyman
Stefan Savi-c, but former Irish youth international Armstrong Oko-Flex equalised with a precise shot on the break: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534917/188001-Record_2026_07_07_21_44_19_802.mp4


K|i (FAR)* v FC Atert Bissen (LUX) 2-1 (1-0)
(Ali 13', Klettskar|# 50'; Rodrigues da Costa 57')

Atert Bissen have been one of the Cinderella stories for football
romantics last season - the small-town club that mostly thanks to shrewd management (and a little money spent) needed just three seasons to make
it from the third division to the top of Luxembourgish football. Still,
they fell behind early in their European debut against the other hipster darlings from Klaksv|!k as Norwegian midfielder Oussama S|+rlie Ali dove
low to head in a cross by K|i's new Brazilian signing Jean Carlos: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534918/188048-Record_2026_07_08_01_01_06_848.mp4
P|ill Klettskar|# then was left all alone to head in a perfect free-kick delivered by who else but the indefatigable |Urni Frederiksberg: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534918/188049-Record_2026_07_08_01_01_22_851.mp4
but Atert pulled one back soon afterwards through Tiago Rodrigues da
Costa who tapped in a low cross by Diogo Pimentel. By the way, Atert are
a prime example for the strong connection between Luxembourg and
Portugal - up to twenty percent of the Luxembourg population are
Portuguese or of Portuguese ancestry, including Atert's president and
coaching staff.


KF V|!kingur (ISL)* v ETO FC (HUN) 1-0 (0-0)
(Hansen 90'+2)

ETO were completely harmless without their Algerian striker Nadhir
Benbouali, who had some business to do over in America, and the
Icelandic champions got a deserved late winner - in his tenth season for
the club V|!kingur's veteran Danish striker Nikolaj Hansen nodded in the rebound after Gy+ar's Slovakian keeper Samuel Petr|i+i had parried from
close range against |oskar Borg|+||rsson: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534919/188021-Record_2026_07_07_22_55_24_748.mp4

Not the most auspicious of starts for Gy+ar's new Mexican manager Efra|!n Ju|irez, previously of Pumas in Liga MX.



July 8


FC Kairat (KAZ)* v FK Sutjeska (MNE) 2-1 (0-0)
(Lucas |Ufrico 77', Gual 90'+3; Mrvaljevi-c 90')

A rather disappointing performance by last year's surprise Champions
League participants against a Sutjeska side valiantly fighting to end Montenegro's league phase drought.

VAR had correctly cancelled a first-half Kairat goal for offside, so the
Kazakh champions had to wait for a long time to break the deadlock -
after 18-year-old Ismail Bekbolat had headed on a corner kick Brazilian centre-back Lucas |Ufrico, signed from the Turkish second division,
steered the ball over the line from the closest of ranges. Out of
nowhere Sutjeska equalised in the last minute of regulation thanks to a
pretty brilliant volley by Marko Mrvaljevi-c: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534920/188208-Record_2026_07_08_18_49_51_884.mp4
Still, Kairat managed to grab the win in stoppage time when newly signed Spanish journeyman Marc Gual, previously Ekstraklasa top scorer with
Legia Warszawa, slotted in a low cross by Bekbolat: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534920/188209-Record_2026_07_08_18_52_14_934.mp4


FC Flora (EST)* v FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) 2-3 (1-2)
(Kreida 28', Alamaa 73'; Natchkhebia 18', Jinjolava 21' (pen),
Kardava 75'; Red Card: Kollo (Flo) 61')

Zviad Natchkhebia opened the scoring by collecting Vakho Bedoshvili's
cross and firing into the top corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534921/188193-Record_2026_07_08_18_18_15_897.mp4
The Georgian champions immediately added a second from the spot thanks
to a penalty awarded for a trip in the box on 17-year-old Andria
Bartishvili, who like all young Georgian talent has inevitably already
been called 'the next Kvaratskhelia'. Flora's all-Estonian squad pulled
one back thanks to Vladislav Kreida's precise shot from distance: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534921/188201-Record_2026_07_08_18_28_23_738.mp4
VAR then cancelled a third Iberia goal by Bartishvili for a handball,
and despite having been reduced to ten after young centre-back Airon
Kollo had been sent off for a last-man foul Flora managed to score the equaliser through 18-year-old Sander Alamaa who volleyed in a cross by
veteran Sergei Zenjov who's twice Alamaa's age: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534921/188217-Record_2026_07_08_19_32_13_507.mp4
Just two minutes later though Bakar Kardava headed in Giorgi Kutsia's
corner kick to give Iberia the win after all.


FK ML Vitebsk (BLR) v CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM)* 1-4 (1-3)
(Gromyko 20'; Baiaram 4', Al-Hamlawi 24' (pen), 44' (pen), Nsimba 90'+4)

The first-time Belarusian champions, who chose Mez+ak||vesd in Northern
Hungary as their place of exile, fell behind early in their European
debut when +ytefan Baiaram curled in a great effort from just outside the
box: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534922/188231-Record_2026_07_08_20_59_35_103.mp4
Valery Gromyko, who had played Champions League last season with
Kairat, got the equaliser with a similarly great shot into the top
corner from 25 metres, but two penalties conceded, one for a clumsy trip
from behind and one detected by VAR for an elbow to the head, undid the Belarusians. Swedish-Palestinian striker Assad Al-Hamlawi expertly
converted twice. In the second half both sides saw goals disallowed for offside, and in stoppage time the French substitute Steven Nsimba added
a fourth for the Romanian champions by slotting in a cross by Nigerian
forward Monday Etim.


FC Petrocub H|<nce+Oti (MDA)* v KF Egnatia (ALB) 1-1 (1-1)
(Popescu 1'; Kryeziu 35'; Red Card: Aleksi (Egn) 45'+1)

Mere seconds into the game the Albanians messed about in the back and
Moldovan international Dan Pu+Oca+O stole the ball off Egnatia captain
Albano Aleksi leaving Petru Popescu with a simple tap-in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534923/188222-Record_2026_07_08_19_52_12_468.mp4
Egnatia scored a deserved equaliser when Altin Kryeziu fired in a cut-
back cross by La Masia product Guillem Jaime: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/534923/188219-Record_2026_07_08_19_34_29_669.mp4
but Aleksi's night went from bad to worse when he got himself sent off
for a VAR-validated studs-up tackle on Victor Bogaciuc. Petrocub
didn't manage to cash in on their numerical superiority though as in the
second half Egnatia keeper Dajsinani had an inspired game.



Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png

Champions League 1st Qualifying Round 2nd Leg
Teams in CAPITALS (except ETO) through to CLQ2, losers go to ConfLQ2
(Champions Path), except for Inter Escaldes and Tre Fiori who have a bye
to ConfLQ3 (Champions Path)
* = seeded team



July 14


KUPS (FIN)* v FK Vardar (MKD) 2-3 aet (0-0, 0-2), 4-3 on aggregate
(Armah 100', Parzyszek 105'+1; Omeragib+# 59', Zakari-c 90'+1 (pen),
Puleio 102')

What looked like plain sailing for the Finnish champions became more
than a little complicated in the second half - Azer Omeragib+# first
somehow shouldered in Boban Nikolov's looping cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535144/189139-Record_2026_07_14_18_20_18_123.mp4
and in stoppage time the North Macedonians even managed to level the
aggregate score from the spot after VAR had detected a clear foul by
Brahima Magassa on former Luxembourg international and Dynamo Kyiv
striker Gerson Rodrigues. Kuopio retook the overall lead in extra time
when Ghanaian winger Bob Nii Armah ran onto a long ball over the top by
his compatriot Clinton Antwi, collected it on his chest, and lobbed over
Vardar keeper Davor Taleski: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535144/189164-Record_2026_07_14_19_18_10_838.mp4
But just two minutes later Vardar were level again as Argentine
globetrotter Ian Puleio met Goran Zakari-c's cross with a looping header
over Kuopio's dithering Austrian keeper Johannes Kreidl: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535144/189165-Record_2026_07_14_19_19_53_67.mp4
Again just two minutes later though the North Macedonians gave away a
handball penalty converted by the Dutch-Polish substitute Piotr
Parzyszek - another globetrotter, KuPS had just signed him from
Uzbekistan - and to that blow Vardar had no more answer.


FC IBERIA 1999 (GEO) v FC Flora (EST)* 2-2 (2-0), 5-4 on aggregate (Sikharulashvili 13', 36'; Varjund 69', Sappinen 84' (pen))

Iberia's young attacker Nika Sikharulashvili headed in Giorgi Kutsia's inswinging free-kick and then also tapped in Zviad Natchkebia's low
cross to give the Georgian champions a seemingly unassailable three-
goal aggregate lead, and right after the break they also saw a great
curler into the top far corner by Natchkebia disallowed by VAR for an
offside in the build-up. But out of nowhere lax defending by Iberia
allowed 19-year-old Estonia international Tony Varjund to beat Giorgi
Makaridze from a tight angle: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535145/189173-Record_2026_07_14_19_26_33_507.mp4
and things got really interesting late on when on occasion of a corner
kick Ukrainian midfielder Eldar Kuliyev wrestled down Tristan Teev|nli
in the box and veteran striker Rauno Sappinen converted from the spot to
bring Flora within one. But in stoppage time the biggest chances only
fell to Iberia on the counter.

Georgian club football sorely needed that - this is only the second time
in the last ten years that their champions survive CLQ1 (a feat managed
in 2019-20 also by Iberia, in their previous guise as Saburtalo), and
the last and only time one of their teams reached a European group or
league stage was Dinamo Tbilisi in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. If the Georgian
teams are not at least moderately successful this year they risk
finishing in the bottom five of the UEFA ranking, and losing a European
entry.


Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) v LINCOLN RED IMPS FC (GIB)* 1-1 (0-0), 2-4
on aggregate
(Dacu 80'; Mula 62')

A comfortable aggregate win for the Gibraltarians. Manu Toledano found
Yussef Flalhi Idrissi alone in the box, and the Spanish-Moroccan
unselfishly teed up former Spanish Under-17 international |Ulex Mula for
the tap-in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535146/189172-Record_2026_07_14_19_26_27_931.mp4
The Andorrans at least secured a coefficient point when the substitute
Dacu (short for da Cunha) stole in from behind to stab in Julliani
Eersteling's ill-advised chested back-pass: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535146/189178-Record_2026_07_14_19_42_00_124.mp4
I guess it's stuff like that why a Sparta Rotterdam-trained right-back
now plays in Gibraltar.


Riga FC (LAT)* v FC ARARAT-ARMENIA (ARM) 3-2 (2-0), 3-4 on aggregate
(Siqueira 14', Ankrah 23', Reginaldo Ramires 90'+4 (pen); Shaghoyan 46',
Lima 63')

The Latvian champions needed less than half an hour to make up the
first-leg deficit. A wild but apparently legal tackle by Costa Rica's NT captain Orlando Galo stripped Ararat-Armenia's veteran midfielder Karen Muradyan off the ball in his own box, and Mohamed Badamosi teed up the Brazilian Iago Siqueira for the simple finish: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535147/189163-Record_2026_07_14_19_15_24_624.mp4
Another more than robust tackle by Ahmed Ankrah then saw the Ghanaian
alone through on goal only to fire against the crossbar, before he still managed to get Riga's second by sending in a bobbling volley from the
edge of the D: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535147/189170-Record_2026_07_14_19_24_06_515.mp4
Right after the break though Riga threw away all those good first-half
vibes when a shocking first touch by Latvia NT keeper Kri+ij-Unis Zviedris allowed Zhirayr Shaghoyan to score an empty-netter: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535147/189187-Record_2026_07_14_20_06_23_958.mp4
Ararat-Armenia's newly signed 35-year-old Brazilian striker Sandro Lima
then got another with a great volley from distance that curved over
Zviedris: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535147/189195-Record_2026_07_14_20_23_51_588.mp4
A minute from time yet another Brazilian hit the woodwork for Riga when Reginaldo Ramires's close-range effort came off the left post, and a
VAR penalty awarded for a trip by former SJ Earthquakes centre-back
Bruno Wilson on Badamosi came too late for the Latvians.


ETO FC (HUN) v KF V|iKINGUR (ISL)* 2-2 (2-1), 2-3 on aggregate
(Vit|ilis 38' (pen), S.G. |Rorkelsson 45'+1 (og); Hafsteinsson 34',
Sigur|#sson 55')

The Reykjav|!k-based Vikings - who are 13-1-0 so far this year in their domestic league - shocked the Hungarian champions when they took the
lead from a corner kick that was delivered in usual expert fashion by
Gylfi Sigur|#sson - going on 37 by now and firmly rehabilitated back in
his native country - and that was kneed in by Dan|!el Hafsteinsson: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535148/189174-Record_2026_07_14_19_36_00_730.mp4
Gy+ar were soon level though as Rajmund T||th managed to secure one of
those 'didn't see him coming' penalties that was an even more blatant
example than Lucas Digne's at roughly the same time: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535148/189176-Record_2026_07_14_19_38_08_196.mp4
The Hungarians appeared to be firmly back on track to qualification
when just before the break V|!kingur centre-back Sveinn G|!sli |Rorkelsson nodded a header by Gambian winger Nfansu Njie into his own net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535148/189181-Record_2026_07_14_19_48_24_348.mp4
Disaster struck for Gy+ar in the second half though as Dan|!el met left-
back Helgi Gu|#j||nsson's delivery with a precise shot from the edge of
the area that Gylfi touched on its way into the back of the net but
which would probably have gone in regardless: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535148/189190-Record_2026_07_14_20_17_07_18.mp4
and instead of getting the goal that would have sent the match to extra
time ETO were even lucky a third V|!kingur goal was disallowed for
offside.

No sugarcoating it, that's a disaster for Hungary.


The New Saints FC (WAL)* v SABAH FK (AZE) 1-2 (0-2), 1-4 on aggregate
(Lock 89'; Mickels 28', Dashdamirov 42')

An easy win for the Azeri in Wales, too. German-born and Gladbach-
trained journeyman striker Joy-Lance Mickels, since earlier this year
also playing for the Rwandan NT, tapped in a cross by Aaron Malouda,
Florent's 20-year-old son who didn't manage to break through at Lille.
Rahman Dashdamirov headed in Tymoteusz Puchacz's corner kick for the
second. Late on the substitute Josh Lock got a consolation goal after
the Sabah defence had gifted the ball away.

I feel that Sabah's international squad is not to be underestimated. It
takes some moxie to deny Qaraba-f the domestic title.


PFC LEVSKI SOFIA (BUL) v FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH)* 4-0 (0-0), 5-1 on aggregate
(Oko-Flex 48', Reinaldo 59', 65', Perea 85')

The first half was still quite even, but the tide turned against the
Bosnians when soon after the re-start their right-back Viktor Rogan at
the edge of his own area needlessly lost the ball to the Brazilian
Reinaldo, newly arrived from Azores-based Santa Clara as Levski's most expensive signing ever, and the ball fell for Irishman Armstrong Oko-
Flex who tunnelled Borac keeper Nikola -aetkovi-c: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535150/189199-Record_2026_07_14_20_40_03_683.mp4
Reinaldo, who will have been an inspired buy if Levski should indeed
make it to a European league phase for the first time since 2010-11,
then twice irresistibly broke through on the break to give the
Bulgarians an unassailable aggregate lead, with fellow Brazilian Everton
Bala both times providing the assist, once with a precise through ball
and once with a clever back-heel: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535150/189206-Record_2026_07_14_20_56_17_63.mp4
Late on the Colombian substitute Juan Perea latched on to a loose ball
and skipped past a defender to score Levski's fourth.


KF Drita (KOS)* v FK KAUNO ++ALGIRIS (LTU) 2-3 (1-1), 3-4 on aggregate
(Jashari 20', Manaj 53'; Slivka 9', 82', Benchaib 90'+4 (pen))

Heartbreak for Drita. Veteran midfielder Vykintas Slivka, over a decade
ago signed by Juventus without ever featuring for their senior team, ran
onto a through ball by the Belgian Amine Benchaib to score the early
opener: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535151/189227-Record_2026_07_14_22_03_39_853.mp4
Youngster Igball Jashari was left unmarked at the far post to turn in
Liridon Balaj's cross for Drita's equaliser. In the second half Arb
Manaj somewhat awkwardly volleyed in Balaj's corner kick for the Kosovar
lead: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535151/189229-Record_2026_07_14_22_05_08_303.mp4
but Slivka headed in a cross by Martinique international Joris Moutachy
to level the aggregate score. Just when everyone appeared to get ready
for extra time VAR intervened for an inadvertent handball in the Drita
box, and Benchaib made no mistake from the spot.


SHAMROCK ROVERS FC (IRL)* v Floriana FC (MLT) 5-1 (2-1), 5-3 on aggregate (Grace 7', McGovern 29', 48', Burke 61', Byrne 74'; Gudelj 13')

Floriana's Brazilian keeper Guilherme Cioletti flapped at Jack Byrne's
corner kick and Lee Grace headed in for an early Hoops lead, but
Tomislav Gudelj, a new signing by the Maltese champions from the
Croatian 2nd division, soon volleyed in a feed by young Gambian striker Mustapha Jah for the equaliser: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535152/189209-Record_2026_07_14_21_13_19_852.mp4
John McGovern levelled the aggregate score with another fine header,
this time from Adam Brennan's cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535152/189216-Record_2026_07_14_21_28_57_887.mp4
and while Floriana managed to hold the Rovers at bay until half-time,
the Irish league leaders were able to pile it on after the break. Dylan
Watts chipped over Cioletti for McGovern to tap into the empty net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535152/189234-Record_2026_07_14_22_10_22_987.mp4
Graham Burke took on four Maltese defenders by himself before firing in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535152/189243-Record_2026_07_14_22_23_50_611.mp4
and Byrne curled a nice shot into the top corner to finish the rout: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535152/189250-Record_2026_07_14_22_36_05_244.mp4

Bullet dodged by the Irish favourites.


LARNE FC (NIR)* v SP Tre Fiori (SMR) 2-1 (1-1), 3-1 on aggregate
(Ridley 25', Bent 69' (pen); Mengucci 12'; Red Cards: Rea (Tre) 63',
Bernardi (Tre) 90')

The Sammarinese took a shock lead when Larne's Scottish keeper Rohan
Ferguson let a speculative shot by Pietro Mengucci go straight through
him: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535153/189210-Record_2026_07_14_21_13_31_807.mp4
Tre Fiori's 40-year-old goalkeeper Michele Nardi, a couple of Serie B
matches with Chievo and Parma under his belt, soon repaid the favour
though by misjudging Ronan Doherty's corner kick and Matt Ridley headed
in the equaliser. In the second half doggedly fighting Sammarinese were
reduced to ten when centre-back Simone Rea saw a second yellow for a
blatant shirt pull, and they also gave away a penalty for a clumsy foul
on Matt Lusty right on the border line of the penalty area. London-born Gibraltar international Dan Bent converted from the spot. Late on the substitute Tommaso Bernardi saw a yellow for a late tackle and a second
for mouthing off the ref. But even against nine Sammarinese Larne didn't
manage to score any more goals (in fact, while down to ten Tre Fiori
missed one great chance to actually get the equaliser), but I'll be
gracious and say that they didn't really need to.



July 15


CS UNIVERSITATEA CRAIOVA (ROM)* v FK ML Vitebsk (BLR) 1-0 (0-0), 5-1 on aggregate
(Bancu 90'+1)

Costa Rican international Carlos Mora hit the post for Uni Craiova in
the first half, and right after their keeper Lauren+ciu Popescu had saved one-on-one against Vitebsk's new Dutch-Surinamese winger Denilho
Cleonise the Romanian champions still got the win in stoppage time when
a nice shot from distance by their captain Nicu+Oor Bancu flew past
Vitebsk's otherwise excellent keeper Pavel Pavlyuchenko: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535154/189355-Record_2026_07_15_21_21_17_186.mp4


FC Atert Bissen (LUX) v K|i (FAR)* 1-2 (1-1), 2-4 on aggregate
(Ferber 25'; Frederiksberg 9', Klettskar|# 59')

Nine minutes in my absolute favourite 'small-team' player |Urni
Frederiksberg once again did his thing: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535155/189333-Record_2026_07_15_20_24_22_455.mp4
Surely there's not too much rope left for him at age 34, but that
left foot of his is magical. Atert equalised when a long ball by Eric
Veiga, newly returned to Luxembourg from a stint in Albania, lured
Klaksv|!k's Danish keeper Mark Jensen out of his net, and young striker
Tyron Crame, just signed by the Luxembourgers from the Belgian Third
Division, cleverly sent the ball back towards his much older Belgian
compatriot Roman Ferber, a Union Saint-Gilloise player from back in the
days when they were still a second division side, who slotted into the
gaping net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535155/189339-Record_2026_07_15_20_40_21_111.mp4
In the second half the Faroese secured the win and promotion to the next
round when P|ill Klettskar|# headed in another excellently delivered
corner kick by Frederiksberg: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535155/189357-Record_2026_07_15_21_32_35_982.mp4


KF EGNATIA (ALB) v FC Petrocub H|<nce+Oti (MDA)* 6-1 (3-0), 7-2 on aggregate (Bitri 2', Albanese 31', M. Pl-atic-a 44' (og), Andrey Yago 59',
Bakayoko 84', Gruda 90'; Rotaru 64')

Egnatia left the Moldovan champions no chance from the start, and they
took the lead just a couple of minutes in when centre-back Eneo Bitri,
back home after an extensive journey across middling European leagues
and clubs (Astana, Ban|!k Ostrava, V|Nlerenga, Cracovia, ETO Gy+ar,...)
tapped in Altin Kryeziu's corner kick that had eluded the Petrocub
defence. Appropriately named former Belgian Under-17 international
Alessandro Albanese made it two with a precise shot from distance: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/535156/189356-Record_2026_07_15_21_30_31_971.mp4
Things got from bad to worse for Petrocub when their 36-year-old veteran
Mihail Pl-atic-a under no pressure whatsoever glanced another corner kick,
this one delivered by Brazilian midfielder Fernando Medeiros, into his
own net. After the break left-back Andrey Yago, the other Brazilian in Egnatia's squad, made it four when his run wasn't picked up by anybody
and he slotted past Petrocub keeper Cristian Avram. The Moldovans scored
a consolation goal through young striker Nicolae Rotaru who volleyed in
Ion Jardan's feed, but late on Egnatia scored two more - Ivorian striker Soumaila Bakayoko stabbed home a cross by Ildi Gruda, and the brother of
RB Leipzig midfielder Brajan Gruda got the sixth himself by heading in a Medeiros cross.


FK Sutjeska (MNE) v FC KAIRAT (KAZ)* 0-2 (0-0), 1-4 on aggregate
(Bekbolat 68', Jorginho 82' (pen); Red Card: Ra++natovi-c (Sut) 80')

Sutjeska kept the tie open until halfway through the second half when
a schoolboy error by their keeper Vlado Giljen gifted Kairat a goal as
Ismail Bekbolat managed to close down on him and steal the ball for an empty-netter. Ten minutes from time Sutjeska centre-back Kopitovi-c slid
into Marc Gual's attempted low cross and touched the ball with his
outstretched arm, giving away a penalty that Kairat's Portuguese captain Jorginho despatched without problems while Sutjeska left-back Andrija Ra++natovi-c got sent off with a second yellow for complaining about the decision.

The Montenegrin teams have gone 0-0-6 so far in this season's European qualifiers. That's not the sort of results that's going to get them out
of the Bottom Five in the UEFA ranking.



Draw for Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round (July 21/22 and 28/29)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLQ3, Losers go to ELQ3

The winners of these ties are already guaranteed at least Conference
League group stage (for teams in the Champions Path), or Europa League
group stage (for teams in the League Path)


Champions Path

Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)*
Larne FC (NIR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*
Sabah FK (AZE) v KuPS (FIN)*
K|i (FAR) v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)*
AGF (DEN) v KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)*
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)*

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)* v CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM)
AC Omonoia (CYP)* v FC Kairat (KAZ)
FC Thun (SUI) v GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)*
KF V|!kingur (ISL) v Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)*
FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
KF Egnatia (ALB) v NK Celje*


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v G||rnik Zabrze (POL)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)


Usually CLQ2 is the most boring qualification round with the biggest mismatches, but I quite like the pairings this year. It looks as if
there should be some intriguing match-ups.


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Werner Pichler <wpichler@gmail.com> wrote:

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png

Draw for Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round (July 21/22 and 28/29)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLQ3, Losers go to ELQ3

The winners of these ties are already guaranteed at least Conference
League group stage (for teams in the Champions Path), or Europa League
group stage (for teams in the League Path)

Champions Path

Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)*
Larne FC (NIR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*
Sabah FK (AZE) v KuPS (FIN)*
K|i (FAR) v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)*
AGF (DEN) v KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)*
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)*

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)* v CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM)
AC Omonoia (CYP)* v FC Kairat (KAZ)
FC Thun (SUI) v GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)*
KF V|!kingur (ISL) v Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)*
FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
KF Egnatia (ALB) v NK Celje*

League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v G||rnik Zabrze (POL)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)

Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

FC Thun (SUI)/GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* v K|i (FAR)/FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU) Mj|nllby AIF (SWE)/Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v FC Iberia 1999 (GEO)/+aK
Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)/CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM) v AC Omonoia (CYP)/FC Kairat (KAZ)*
AGF (DEN)/KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v Sabah FK (AZE)/KuPS (FIN)
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM)/Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) v KF Egnatia (ALB)/NK
Celje*
KF V|!kingur (ISL)/Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR) v Larne FC (NIR)/FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*


League Path

Olympiacos FC (GRE)* v NEC (NED)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)*
Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)/G||rnik Zabrze (POL)* v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)/Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)*



Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 20/07/2026 12.22, Werner Pichler wrote:

Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage

Champions Path

AGF (DEN)/KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v Sabah FK (AZE)/KuPS (FIN)

It's important for the Vikings that Ishak goes to Europa League of the Conference.

I think we can all agree on this.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 16/07/2026 09:21, Werner Pichler wrote:

Usually CLQ2 is the most boring qualification round with the biggest mismatches, but I quite like the pairings this year. It looks as if
there should be some intriguing match-ups.

There were.


Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png


Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round 1st Leg
* = seeded team

July 21

Champions Path

Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)* 3-0 (3-0)
(Samuelsen 18', 24', Bergstr||m 32')

The Swedish surprise champions from the small Blekingen fishing village
took full advantage of the favourable draw which had the Gibraltarian
champions as the seeded team.

Red Imps keeper Jaylan Hankins did well to keep out Jeppe Jensen's shot
from distance, then got egg on his face when he tried to parry the
follow-up effort by Faroese Under-21 international |Uki Samuelsen and let
the bobbling ball go straight through his hands: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536033/190329-Mjallby%201.mp4 Six minutes later some crisp passing by Mj|nllby ended with Jesper
Gustavsson finding Samuelsen alone through on goal and he left Hankins
no chance: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536033/190333-Mjallby%202.mp4 Jacob Bergstr||m made it three after Villiam Granath had left old man
Nano in the dust and the Red Imps defence hadn't been able to cut out
his cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536033/190336-Mjallby%203.mp4 In the grand scheme of things it probably won't matter too much that
Samuelsen failed to complete his hat trick in the second half since
Hankins with a great save was able to push his penalty against the post,
and in the follow-up chaos Elliot Stroud also hit the crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536033/190353-Mjallby%20penalta.mp4


Sabah FK (AZE) v KuPS (FIN)* 1-0 (1-0)
(Simi-c 45'+1)

The Azerbaijani champions dominated from the start, and Kuopio were
lucky that a goal by Umarali Rakhmonaliev (who hadn't made the cut for Uzbekistan's World Cup squad) was disallowed by VAR for Veljko Simi-c's
push against Brahima Magassa in the build-up. Magassa then also produced
a spectacular goal-line clearance via the post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536034/190339-Record_2026_07_21_18_42_11_760.mp4
but neither woodwork nor VAR (even though there was a lengthy check)
could save the Finns just before half-time when Sabah's Croatian
midfielder Ivan Lepinjica found Simi-c at the edge of offside, and the
Serbian left Kuopio's Austrian keeper Johannes Kreidl no chance: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536034/190341-Record_2026_07_21_18_47_58_54.mp4
Kreidl was also called into action numerous times in the second half,
but good goalkeeping and Sabah's wasteful finishing allowed the Finnish champions to keep the result close.


FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)* 2-0 (0-0)
(Lima 51', Banjaqui 80')

The Irish champions and current league leaders had the bigger
opportunities in the first half, but soon after the re-start a terrible
pass by Rovers captain Lee Grace allowed Brazilian journeyman striker
Sandro Lima to steal the ball, sidestep centre-back Pico Lopes, freshly returned from the World Cup where he played every minute for Cabo Verde,
as well as Rovers keeper Edward McGinty, and roll the ball into the
empty net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536035/190346-Record_2026_07_21_19_09_53_853.mp4
Bissau-Guinean international Zidane Banjaqui made it two with a shot
from the edge of the box that beat McGinty at his near post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536035/190356-Record_2026_07_21_19_38_33_74.mp4


FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)* 0-2 (0-2)
(+aporar 25', Yirajang 31')

An early Iberia goal was cancelled by VAR for a clear offside, and so it
was the Slovakian champions who took the lead through veteran Slovenian
striker Andra++ +aporar who had been left completely unmarked on occasion
of a corner kick delivered by former Angola international Sandro Cruz.
Gambian winger Alasana Yirajang made it two with a lovely scissor kick
from a cross by youngster Alexej Maro+i: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536036/190334-Record_2026_07_21_18_30_05_749.mp4
In the second half the unlucky Georgians were the better team but failed
to score, also because they saw another goal disallowed by VAR for
offside, and so their bid to reach a first ever league phase is still an
uphill battle.


AGF (DEN) v KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* 1-4 (0-2)
(Arnstad 55'; Ishak 29', W|Nlemark 42', 65', Yegbe 61';
Red Card: Hansen (AGF) 37')

While the unseeded Swedish champions had fun against Gibraltarian
opposition, the equally unseeded Danish ones ran into a drubbing against
a much stronger opponent. Lech took the lead through Swedish striker
Mikael Ishak who unleashed a great shot into the top corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190390-Record_2026_07_21_21_27_07_745.mp4
and things went from bad to worse for Aarhus less than ten minutes later
when their 41-year-old goalkeeper Jesper Hansen saw red for handling a potentially goal-bound cross outside his area. Against ten men the
Polish champions scored a second after the AGF defence had lost the ball
in front of their own box, and a quick one-two between Antoni Kozubal
and Patrik W|Nlemark, the other Swede in Lech's starting line-up, led to
the latter firing past Hansen's Norwegian replacement Mads Hedenstad: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190392-Record_2026_07_21_21_27_56_563.mp4
Aarhus fought back and scored a nice goal from a counter-attack, at the
end of which their young Norwegian captain Kristian Arnstad tapped in
a low cross by 19-year-old Frederik Emmery: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190394-Record_2026_07_21_21_28_57_547.mp4
but soon afterwards Lech restored the two-goal lead thanks to a
brilliant long-distance drive by their new Ghanaian centre-back Terry
Yegbe, who had arrived from relegated Ligue 1 side Metz: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190396-Record_2026_07_21_21_30_31_142.mp4
Again less than five minutes later W|Nlemark scored his second of the
night after AGF's Swedish defender Eric Kahl had misjudged a long ball: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190397-Record_2026_07_21_21_31_17_446.mp4


FC Thun (SUI) v GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* 1-1 (1-0)
(Labeau 20'; Zajc 86')

The Swiss champions took the lead when Martinique striker Brighton
Labeau headed in a cross by Fabio Fehr, who's now been part of both
Thun's surprise title and Vaduz's miracle European run in 2022-23. For
the longest time Dinamo didn't really threaten, but they slowly
improved in the second half and four minutes from time they punished
Marc Gutbub's carelessly lost ball as the substitute Fran Topi-c centred
for veteran Slovenian midfielder Miha Zajc who volleyed in from the
edge of the area.


K|i (FAR) v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)* 0-0 (0-0)

|Urni Frederiksberg tried the same trick shot as in the previous round
against Atert Bissen, but Kauno ++algiris keeper +avedkauskas was up to
the task: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536041/190378-Record_2026_07_21_20_54_28_912.mp4
Klaksv|!k remained the more dangerous side throughout the match, but +avedkauskas also pulled off a great save to deny Gilli R||lantsson, and
K|i's newly signed Norwegian midfielder Mansour Sinyan volleyed just wide
from a promising position.


Larne FC (NIR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)* 0-4 (0-1)
(Bruno Duarte 26' (pen), 67', Kostov 55', Cham 85')

Easy win for the Serbians. Red Star took the lead thanks to a VAR
handball penalty converted by Bruno Duarte, and after the break Ghanaian
winger Osman Bukari, newly returned to Belgrade after stints in the MLS
and Poland with Austin FC and Widzew +U||d+|, outwitted Sean Graham to
break through on the right wing and centred for the great Serbian future
hope Vasilije Kostov to slot in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536042/190415-Record_2026_07_21_22_14_31_208.mp4
Just after Bukari had missed one-on-one with Larne's Scottish keeper
Rohan Ferguson Bruno Duarte still made it three from an assist by
another new arrival, Israeli midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536042/190417-Record_2026_07_21_22_26_29_811.mp4
Austrian substitute Muhammed Cham, also newly loaned out from
Trabzonspor, finished the rout with a shot from the corner of the area
that curved past a frozen Ferguson: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536042/190421-Record_2026_07_21_22_44_29_41.mp4


KF V|!kingur (ISL) v Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)* 2-1 (0-0)
(Hansen 48', 86'; Kangwa 51')

The Icelandic champions and league leaders already early on hit the post through Valdimar |R||r Ingimundarson, and they took a deserved lead right
after the break when Helgi Gu|#j||nsson's long throw-in was knocked on by V|!kingur's Swedish captain Oliver Ekroth, and Danish striker Nikolaj
Hansen was left all alone to tap in from close range: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536043/190411-Record_2026_07_21_22_06_10_632.mp4
Just three minutes later though the Israeli equalised thanks to a
hospital pass by V|!kingur keeper Aron Sn|ar Fri|#riksson coupled with a
bad touch by Dan|!el Hafsteinsson who under pressure from youngster Niv Yehoshua lost the ball, and Zambia international and former Red Star
Belgrade midfielder Kings Kangwa had no problems chipping into the net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536043/190413-Record_2026_07_21_22_09_48_195.mp4
This goal threw the Icelanders off their game, and Hapoel Be'er-Sheva subsequently had several good scoring opportunities and also saw a goal disallowed by VAR for offside. But late on V|!kingur still got the win as Hansen slid into |oskar Borg|+||rsson's low cross to stab it past Hapoel's veteran keeper Ofir Marciano: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536043/190420-Record_2026_07_21_22_43_11_409.mp4


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v G||rnik Zabrze (POL) 1-0 (1-0)
(Talisca 37')

A bit like their World Cup experience it was one-way football by the
Turks from the start, but they managed to break through the stubborn
Polish defence only once when Talisca's free-kick from distance managed
to find a gap in the wall and beat G||rnik's German keeper Philipp
Schulze at the right post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536039/190375-Record_2026_07_21_20_36_51_53.mp4
But Schulze kept out everything else, and on occasion of Bartu-f Elmaz's
volley he was saved by the crossbar.


SK Sturm Graz (AUT)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO) 4-0 (1-0)
(Gorenc Stankovi-c 4', Mitchell 50', Weinhandl 53', Heil 59')

The first half was quite even, with both sides leaving big gaps in
defence, but only Sturm managed to convert one of their opportunities
as Sturm's Slovenian captain Jon Gorenc Stankovi-c headed in an insanely
long throw-in by Costa Rica international Jeyland Mitchell. Other than
that, Norwegian striker Seedy Jatta, one of the most permanently unlucky players I've ever seen, also headed against the post for Sturm while at
the other end two great opportunities for Hearts were nullified by
pitiful finishes from Pierre Landry Kabor|- and Kyziridis, respectively: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536040/190381-Record_2026_07_21_21_04_38_535.mp4
Just before half-time the Scots were also lucky a handball penalty was
called back by VAR, but nine crazy minutes after the break still undid
them - first Mitchell headed in a corner kick by Otar Kiteishvili, three
times in a row Player of the Season in the Austrian Bundesliga, then
shambolic defending allowed 17-year-old Luca Weinhandl to score his
first ever European goal with a deflected shot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536040/190404-Record_2026_07_21_21_42_56_284.mp4
New arrival from Hartberg J|+rgen Heil, already firmly on his way to
becoming a fan favourite, made it four as he wasn't challenged at all
during his run along the entirety of the pitch, he exchanged passes with Weinhandl and from a tight angle sent a shot through the legs of German
keeper Alexander Schwolow, who played one of his last games for Hearts
before having to report to Mainz.

A great start to the season, I'm relieved. It's looking good now for
Sturm to at least qualify for the Europa League proper, while due to
an unlucky draw Hearts might already have to fight hard to avoid a
dreaded triple elimination.

July 22

Champions Path

AC Omonoia (CYP)* v FC Kairat (KAZ) 1-0 (1-0)
(Andreou 13'; Red Card: N|-go (Omo) 33')

Andronikos Kakoullis inadvertently set up Panagiotis Andreou in the box
and the youngster fired past Kairat keeper Temirlan Anarbekov: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536044/190487-Record_2026_07_22_19_16_45_317.mp4
Omonoia's dominance only lasted about half an hour though because
French-born and naturalized Hungarian right-back Lo|>c N|-go, newly signed
by the Cypriots from Le Havre, came in far too late with a tackle, and
with raised studs to boot, leaving the Portuguese ref no choice but
to send him off: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536044/190495-Record_2026_07_22_19_38_11_710.mp4
Kairat should have equalised just before the break, but after a
goalmouth scramble their Belarusian captain Aleksandr Martynovich
volleyed high over the bar from two metres out, and ten Cypriots also
mostly managed to keep the Kazakh champions away from their goal in the
second half. Three minutes from the end a curving shot from distance by 19-year-old Kairat substitute Azamat Tuyakbayev went off the outside of
the post.


PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)* v CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM) 1-0 (1-0)
(Dimitrov 8')

Levski centre-back Kristian Dimitrov headed in a cross by Portuguese
midfielder Serginho - like Reinaldo newly signed from Santa Clara in
the Azores - for the early lead. The Bulgarians subsequently had the
better chances, including a one-on-one with Uni Craiova keeper Lauren+uiu Popescu missed by their Irish striker Armstrong Oko-Flex and a goal
by Reinaldo disallowed for offside, while at the other end Levski keeper Svetoslav Vutsov had to pull off one good save to deny Nicu+Oor Bancu's
volley.


KF Egnatia (ALB) v NK Celje* 3-3 (1-1)
(Daniel 7' (og), Medeiros 58', Diabat|- 78'; Kvesi-c 45', 66', Ku-iys 54')

From a corner kick delivered by Slovenia-born former Kosovo Under-21 international Altin Kryeziu Eneo Bitri's header was involuntarily
flicked on by Celje's Nigerian midfielder Papa Daniel, which wrong-
footed their young Everton-trained goalkeeper ++an-Luk Leban: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536046/190508-Record_2026_07_22_21_07_00_217.mp4
Celje equalised likewise from a corner kick as Svit Se+ilar's inviting
delivery was volleyed in by Bosnian midfielder Mario Kvesi-c: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536046/190510-Record_2026_07_22_21_45_39_135.mp4
After the break it was the Slovenians who first took the lead, again
from a cross, this time around it was Lithuanian striker Armandas Ku-iys
who volleyed in a feed by Brazil-born Greek left-back Leonardo Koutris,
newly signed by Celje from Pogo+a Szczecin in the Polish Ekstraklasa: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536046/190513-Record_2026_07_22_22_14_26_447.mp4
The Albanian champions scored the equaliser four minutes later, with
their Brazilian midfielder Fernando Medeiros (whose twin brother Fl|ivio
used to play for Vit||ria, Bahia, Trabzonspor, and in Saudi-Arabia)
finishing off a nice passing move with a volley into the far side of the
net that left Leban rooted to the spot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536046/190514-Record_2026_07_22_22_18_59_7.mp4
Another cross, another goal, as Kvesi-c was on hand to slot in a loose
ball to restore Celje's lead: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536046/190521-Record_2026_07_22_22_26_53_975.mp4
but Egnatia once again scored a deserved equaliser thanks to a quick
passing move at the end of which a shot by young Ivorian substitute
Ibrahim Diabat|- was deflected by Koutris past his own keeper. In
stoppage time Daniel almost made amends for his earlier own goal but his
shot from distance went off the far post.


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Quoting Werner Pichler in rec.sport.soccer:

MjEllby AIF (SWE) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)* 3-0 (3-0)
(Samuelsen 18', 24', Bergstr%m 32')

The Swedish surprise champions from the small Blekingenfishing village
took full advantage of the favourable draw which had the Gibraltarian >champions as the seeded team.

It's "Blekinge" (without the ending "n").

Map of the Swedish "landskap" ("provinces", no administrative functios). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_Sweden

Compare with the Swedish "lEn" ("counties"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counties_of_Sweden

...and "regioner" ("regions")
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Sweden

...and "kommuner" ("municipalities"). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Sweden

Yes, it's a slight mess.
--
Manchester United FC - CHAMPIONS
Latest: England '13 (20th) Europa '17, UEFA '08, World '08
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 21/07/2026 19:19, Jesper Lauridsen wrote:

On 20/07/2026 12.22, Werner Pichler wrote:

Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

AGF (DEN)/KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v Sabah FK (AZE)/KuPS (FIN)

It's important for the Vikings that Ishak goes to Europa League of the Conference.

I think we can all agree on this.

How important is it for the Vikings, really?

Congrats! Your guys have done something that in 71 years of history of
European Cups no team has managed to do before - overcoming a three-goal
home loss and still qualify for the next round.

(Dinamo Bucharest in 2009 didn't actually lose 0-3 at home, that was a
UEFA decision for a pitch invasion when it was still 0-2)

It wouldn't have happened if the Away Goal Rule had still been in
effect, as it has been for the majority of those 71 years, but still.


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 23/07/2026 01.02, Werner Pichler wrote:

but soon afterwards Lech restored the two-goal lead thanks to a
brilliant long-distance drive by their new Ghanaian centre-back Terry
Yegbe, who had arrived from relegated Ligue 1 side Metz: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536037/190396- Record_2026_07_21_21_30_31_142.mp4

You know you're in for a bad day when a defender with only couple or so
career goals does something like that.

But you have to move on and hope for better days.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 29/07/2026 21:53, Werner Pichler wrote:

On 21/07/2026 19:19, Jesper Lauridsen wrote:

On 20/07/2026 12.22, Werner Pichler wrote:

Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

AGF (DEN)/KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v Sabah FK (AZE)/KuPS (FIN)

It's important for the Vikings that Ishak goes to Europa League of the
Conference.

I think we can all agree on this.

How important is it for the Vikings, really?

Congrats! Your guys have done something that in 71 years of history of European Cups no team has managed to do before - overcoming a three-goal
home loss and still qualify for the next round.

(Dinamo Bucharest in 2009 didn't actually lose 0-3 at home, that was a
UEFA decision for a pitch invasion when it was still 0-2)

It wouldn't have happened if the Away Goal Rule had still been in
effect, as it has been for the majority of those 71 years, but still.

Dammit, that's the problem with aging, you don't keep up with all the
new data.

Olympiacos also managed to do it in the Round of 16 of the 2023-24
Conference League - lost 1-4 at home against Maccabi Tel Aviv, won
6-1 after extra time in the return leg.

But then Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't really play at home (but in Serbia),
so you can argue it's a different case.


Ciao,
Werner

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png

Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round 2nd leg
Teams in CAPITALS (except K|i) through to CLQ3, losers go to ELQ3
* = seeded team


July 28

Champions Path

KuPS (FIN)* v SABAH FK (AZE) 0-2 (0-0), 0-3 on aggregate
(Simi-c 53', Mickels 70')

The first half was quite even with good opportunities on both sides,
but German-born Rwanda international Joy-Lance Mickels was denied by
Kuopio's Austrian keeper Johannes Kreidl, and at the other end
Nicaraguan striker Jaime Moreno from a promising position headed past
the post of the Sabah net. The decisive goals came after the break -
the Finnish defence forgot about Tymoteusz Puchacz on the left wing,
and Serbian forward Veljko Simi-c, already the sole scorer in the first
leg, lost his marker to meet the Polish left-back's cross and beat
Kreidl from close range: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536047/191318-Zaznam%20obrazovky%202026-07-28%20181029.mp4
Former Cura|oaoan international Xander Severina, who hasn't been called
up by them for two years, had far too much space to deliver a pin-point
cross, and Mickels stole in to volley past Kreidl: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536047/191330-Sabah%202.mp4

Sabah, who only formed as a club in 2017, in their fourth European
campaign manage for the first time to qualify for a European league
stage.


Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)* v MJ|aLLBY AIF (SWE) 0-0 (0-0), 0-3 on aggregate

Wasteful finishing let the Gibraltarian champions off the hook, and this
point could actually become important for Gibraltar in the UEFA ranking
where it's a close race to avoid becoming the fifth team in the Bottom
Five. Still, despite Anders's misgivings, Mj|nllby have now qualified at
least for the Conference League league phase, with the potential for
more. That's not bad at all for an unseeded team in their European
debut.


GNK DINAMO ZAGREB (CRO)* v FC Thun (SUI) 3-2 aet (0-2, 2-2), 4-3 on
aggregate
(Beljo 74', Ka-iavenda 79', Valin-ii-c 112'; Labeau 4', B|+rki 22';
Red Card: B|+rki (Thu) 67')

Unlike Mj|nllby, another of last season's surprise champions suffered heartbreak instead. Thun were two up inside less than half an hour -
following a lost ball in midfield, Swiss-born Chile international Nils Reichmuth released new signing Nassim Zoukit on the left wing, and the Moroccan-Swiss midfielder's perfect low cross made it to the far post
where it was tapped in by Martinique international Brighton Labeau: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536049/191360-Record_2026_07_28_20_06_51_891.mp4
Thun captain Marco B|+rki, younger brother of former Dortmund and current
St. Louis City keeper Roman B|+rki, headed in Fabio Fehr's free-kick for
the second: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536049/191362-Record_2026_07_28_20_24_49_612.mp4
But a bizarre episode halfway through the second half ultimately proved decisive - a fair-play throw-in by Fran Topi-c returned possession to
Thun near their own area, B|+rki quite slowly went to collect the ball,
the substitute Lukas Ka-iavenda decided to press him, instead of playing
back to his keeper B|+rki attempted a clearance that bounced off
Ka-iavenda's hip, and so the Croatian suddenly found himself alone
through on goal and B|+rki wrestled him down. VAR validated the Red Card
- despite a camera problem in Stadion Maksimir apparently only allowing
one point of view, another thing the Swiss were livid about after the
match - and against ten men Dinamo turned the match around. Dion Beljo, formerly a flop in Augsburg and with Rapid Vienna, but who has become a
goal machine back home in Zagreb, headed a cross by Moris Valin-ii-c
against his own leg and so kind of kneed it in, and Thun's defence
allowed Topi-c's corner kick to take a bounce in the box and Ka-iavenda
didn't even need to jump to nod it in. Two minutes from the end Thun
keeper Niklas Steffen pulled off a great save to drag the Swiss to extra
time, but they conceded the decisive goal when Valin-ii-c capped off a
solo run with a great shot into the far corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536049/191382-Record_2026_07_28_22_29_40_440.mp4

Summer qualifying machine Dinamo will reach a European group/league
stage for the ninth time in a row, and for the 19th time in 20 years.
Except for last year they always needed qualifiers.


NK CELJE (SLO)* v KF Egnatia (ALB) 2-2 aet (1-1, 1-1), 5-5 on aggregate,
Celje win 4-1 on penalties
(Kvesi-c 34', 97' (pen); Hrka 21' (og), Smajli 114')

The Albanian champions took a surprise lead when Celje centre-back Darko
Hrka under pressure from Egnatia's Cameroonian striker Daniel Adjessa
headed a cross by Dutch-Moroccon journeyman winger Karim Loukili into
his own net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536050/191385-Record_2026_07_28_22_53_31_66.mp4
Mario Kvesi-c equalised with a nice direct free-kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536050/191386-Record_2026_07_28_22_54_23_317.mp4
That's how it remained until extra time when Eljon Sota needlessly
kicked the heel of Rudi Po++eg Vanca+i in the box, and Kvesi-c got his
second of the night from the penalty spot. Egnatia once more came back
when Belgian-born right-back Geralb Smajli rifled in a loose ball after
the Slovenian defence had failed to clear a cross by the substitute
Edison Ndreca: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536050/191388-Record_2026_07_28_22_55_58_638.mp4
but in the shootout both Eneo Bitri and Ndreca missed the target for
the Albanians.


Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)* v FC ARARAT-ARMENIA (ARM) 2-1 (2-0), 2-3 on aggregate
(Healy 12', Greene 37'; Lima 74')

The Rovers needed only one half to make up the first-leg deficit - Aaron Greene's quick thinking found Matt Healy at the edge of the area, and
with an emphatic shot he beat Ararat-Armenia's Brazilian keeper Jo|uo
Bravim, whose transfer to Yerevan from Santa Clara on the Azores has practically spanned the width of UEFA. A VAR check for an offside in the build-up took over five minutes and strained the nerves of the Irish
fans, but in the end the goal stood: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536052/191370-Record_2026_07_28_21_11_40_45.mp4
Adam Brennan then sent a free header over the crossbar, but the Rovers
were gifted an aggregate equaliser when Greek defender Alexandros Malis underhit a back-pass and Bravim under pressure from Greene only managed
to kick the ball as far as Jack Byrne, who set up Greene for the tap-in
finish: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536052/191375-Record_2026_07_28_21_36_13_628.mp4
Rovers had plenty of chances in the second half as well but didn't take
any of them, and they conceded the decisive goal when the Brazilian
substitute Carlos Fran|oa, on just a minute earlier, broke through on the
right wing, and while his cross was blocked it fell for Fran|oa's
compatriot Sandro Lima who had no problems scoring into the gaping net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536052/191384-Record_2026_07_28_22_35_35_599.mp4
in what was Ararat-Armenia's only shot on target of the match.

Similarly to Sabah from the country of their enemy neighbours, Ararat-
Armenia (not to be confused with traditional club FC Ararat Yerevan)
were also founded only in 2017, and now reach their first ever European
league stage. They missed out in 2019-20 when they lost a Europa League
playoff on penalties against D|+delingen.


League Path

Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO) v SK STURM GRAZ (AUT)* 0-2 (0-0), 0-6 on aggregate
(Seidl 64', Soglo 68')

Hearts tried for the first twenty minutes or so but apart from a lot of possession had little to show for it, while at the other end VAR
cancelled a Sturm goal by perennially unlucky Seedy Jatta for a slight
push in the build-up. It didn't matter though as in the second half
Sturm's Slovenian captain Jon Gorenc Stankovi-c headed on a long ball
for Simon Seidl to volley in at the far post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536051/191380-Record_2026_07_28_22_10_42_947.mp4
and to add insult to injury an Englishman scored Sturm's second - Emran
Soglo ran onto Szymon W+eodarczyk's assist into the box, and with a
little luck he beat Hearts keeper Alexander Schwolow on the rebound: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536051/191381-Record_2026_07_28_22_14_30_321.mp4

To quote the elaborate analysis on BBC Scotland's live coverage -
'Hearts very blah'.


July 29

Champions Path

FC KAIRAT (KAZ) v AC Omonoia (CYP)* 1-0 aet (1-0, 1-0), 1-1 on
aggregate, Kairat win 6-5 on penalties
(Edmilson 37'; Red Cards: Kakoullis (Omo) 26', Coulibaly (Omo) 111')

The Kazakh champions almost opened the scoring early on when a header by Finland international Oiva Jukkola went off the crossbar and bounced
onto the goal line. At the other end a shot by Omonoia's South African
winger Mihlali Mayambela whistled just past the post, but just as in the
first leg the Cypriot champions weakened themselves already in the first
half when their striker Andronikos Kakoullis got himself sent off with a studs-up tackle against the shin of Lev Kurgin. Kairat coach Rafael
Urazbakhtin subsequently made two attack-minded substitutions already in
the first half, and that immediately paid off as Brazilian forward
Edmilson just a minute after having come on rose highest to head in a
cross from Portuguese left-back Lu|!s Mata: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536053/191507-Kajrat%201.mp4 Kairat dominated in the second half but missed the best chances, saw a
goal chalked off for offside, and a nice shot by former Legia Warsaw top
scorer Marc Gual came back off the upright: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536053/191513-Kajrat%20sance%202.mp4
It continued in that vein in extra time (final shot total was 25-2), and Omonoia were even reduced to nine when their Malian centre-back Senou
Coulibaly saw a second yellow for an elbow, but the Cypriots still
managed to somehow drag the game to penalties. In the shoot-out both
sides missed one as Kairat keeper Temirlan Anabekov made a great save to
keep out Jure Balkovec's spot kick while his counterpart in the Cypriot
net Fabiano likewise parried against Kairat youngster Olzhas Baibek. The decisive miss came in the seventh round when Anabekov also kept out
Nikolaos Panagiotou's poorly struck effort.

Kairat also won two penalty shoot-outs in CL qualifying last year
(against Slovan Bratislava and Celtic) when they ultimately qualified
for the league phase.


FK KAUNO ++ALGIRIS (LTU)* v K|i (FAR) 1-0 (0-0), 1-0 on aggregate
(Krekovi-c 85')

A very even match with few chances was decided five minutes from time
when a quickly played attack ended with the Croatian substitute Leon
Krekovi-c cutting inside and beating K|i's Danish keeper Mark Jensen.


KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v AGF (DEN) 1-4 aet (0-1, 0-3), 5-5 on aggregate,
AGF win 4-3 on penalties
(Jagie+e+eo 95'; Bech 32', Arnstad 55' (pen), Tingager 75',
Kristj|insson 100')

Now as I've already written (and corrected myself), this was historic -
after 71 years and thousands of ties in the European cups the first ever
'true' home-and-away tie in which a team still progresses following a three-goal defeat at home. Dinamo Bucharest's 0-3 home loss against
Slovan Liberec in 2009 was a UEFA punishment for a pitch invasion when
the score was still 0-2, and in 2024 Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't actually
play their home leg against Olympiakos at home.

At the start of the match Aarhus were let off the hook by VAR who
cancelled an already awarded penalty as Jonas Jensen-Abbew had never
actually handled the ball, and the Danes opened the scoring when their
young Norwegian captain Kristian Arnstad weaved his way into the box and
set up Tobias Bech whose shot was deflected in by Lech's Ghanaian
centre-back Terry Yegbe: https://media.onlajny.com/media/pl/football/2026/536055/191522-Screen_Recording_20260729_193355_Chrome.mp4
Lech had one great chance to equalise before the break after AGF's
number two keeper Mads Hedenstad had palmed away a shot by Spanish
midfielder Pablo Rodr|!guez, but from six metres out Honduran winger Luis
Palm blazed the rebound over the crossbar. After the break it was the
Danes who were awarded a handball penalty of their own, and this one
stood as even though the ball had travelled only a short distance Robert Gumny's arm had been stretched out. Arnstad with a little luck converted
from the spot, and from this point onwards the nervousness on the Polish
side was palpable. So it came as no real surprise that veteran
centre-back Frederik Tintager managed to level the aggregate score by
heading in Eric Kahl's corner kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/pl/football/2026/536055/191541-Screen_Recording_20260729_204225_Chrome.mp4
Injuries and a thin bench meant that Aarhus had to sub in a couple of
teenagers such as 17-year-old Christian Storch and 19-year-old
Mouhammade Camara in what was for both their professional debut, and the
latter was a bit at fault early in extra time when he didn't close down
quickly enough after Hedenstad had spilled Micha+e Gurgul's shot, and
Filip Jagie+e+eo managed to fire in the rebound: https://media.onlajny.com/media/pl/football/2026/536055/191552-Screen_Recording_20260729_210645_Chrome.mp4
But five minutes later Aarhus levelled the aggregate score once more, 18-year-old Icelandic youth international T||mas |oli Kristj|insson, also
on as a substitute, collected a loose ball at the corner of the area,
and he beat Lech keeper Mateusz Lis with a curled shot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/pl/football/2026/536055/191554-Screen_Recording_20260729_211328_Chrome.mp4
(even if you don't understand Polish you can hear the exasperation in
the commentator's voice)
Onwards to penalties then, where Arnstad sent his effort against the
left post but Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, who hadn't been part of Iran's
World Cup squad, also saw his poor spot kick saved by Hedenstad.
Hedenstad then made a crucial save against Antoni Kozubal, and Tobias
Bech calmly sent the decisive penalty into the top corner.

A very bad night for Lech's Danish coach Niels Frederiksen, but a
guaranteed first ever European league phase for AGF. That must feel good
after a couple of less than happy European adventures in the last
fifteen years.


CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM) v PFC LEVSKI SOFIA (BUL)* 2-2 (1-2), 2-3
on aggregate
(Bancu 45'+2, Rus 48'; Everton Bala 13', Aldair 16')

The Bulgarians quickly raced into a three-goal aggregate lead - a free-
kick trick found Everton Bala unmarked outside the box, and from twenty
metres out the Brazilian striker curled a shot through a forest of legs
past Uni Craiova keeper Lauren+uiu Popescu. Portuguese left-back Aldair likewise met Everton Bala's cut-back cross with a precise shot from the
edge of the area. The Romanian champions pulled one back just before the
break, after Levski keeper Svetoslav Vutsov had saved one-on-one against
David Matei the young Romanian midfielder still managed to collect the
loose ball and he sent a cross back across goal that Uni Craiova captain Nicu+Oor Bancu headed in from twelve metres: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536056/191565-Record_2026_07_29_22_12_32_699.mp4
Adrian Rus's great free-kick levelled the score right after the break: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536056/191566-Record_2026_07_29_22_13_29_933.mp4
and while the Romanians chased the aggregate equaliser and wasted a
couple of good opportunities doing so, Levski hit the woodwork twice on
the counter.


HAPOEL BE'ER-SHEVA FC (ISR)* v KF V|!kingur (ISL) 2-0 (0-0), 3-2 on aggregate (Ahmed 65', Ganah 80')

The unlucky Icelandic champions already had to make two injury-related substitutions inside the first fifteen minutes, and while they managed
to keep the Israeli champions away from their goal in the first half,
Hapoel Be'er-Sheva significantly increased the pressure after the
re-start and they managed to break through when Zahi Ahmed met Guy
Mizrahi's cross with a powerful header: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536057/191546-Beer%20Seva%201.mp4
Youngster Amir Ganah scored the decisive goal with a nice move, after side-stepping Viktor |urlygur Andrason's tackle he beat V|!kingur keeper
Aron Sn|ar Fri|#riksson at the near post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536057/191553-Beer%20Seva%202.mp4
Deep in stoppage time V|!kingur were awarded a penalty, but VAR
rightfully took it back for a previous foul on Hapoel Be'er-Sheva keeper
Ofir Marciano. Still, quite unlucky altogether.


FK CRVENA ZVEZDA (SRB)* v Larne FC (NIR) 5-0 (2-0), 9-0 on aggregate
(Katai 3', Arnautovi-c 45'+4, 60', Loizou 49', Bukari 79')

Red Star had no problems whatsoever with the Northern Irish champions
in the return leg as well. They took an early lead when a punt by
Larne's Scottish keeper Rohan Ferguson fell too short, and Rade Kruni-c immediately headed it back towards the box where Aleksandar Katai had
been left all alone to collect the ball and fire in. VAR then disallowed another Katai goal for a foul and a lovely one by Red Star's new Cypriot signing Loizos Loizou for offside. That didn't matter though as just
before the break Marko Arnautovi-c, who has now retired from the Austrian
NT, ran onto a long ball by Milo+i Veljkovi-c and volleyed past Ferguson: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536058/191570-Record_2026_07_29_22_23_33_277.mp4
After the re-start Ferguson gave away another goal by sending a pass
straight to Loizou: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536058/191571-Record_2026_07_29_22_24_05_813.mp4
Arnautovi-c scored a brace by tapping in a Loizou cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536058/191572-Record_2026_07_29_22_24_49_301.mp4
and the Ghanaian substitute Osman Bukari made it five, he collected a
great pass from Katai and turned both Sean Graham and Ferguson inside
out before firing in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536058/191573-Record_2026_07_29_22_25_21_710.mp4


+aK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (SLK)* v FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) 1-1 (1-0), 3-1 on aggregate
(Kukharevych 44'; Sikharulashvili 51')

Slovan were the dominant team from the start, and a lovely free-kick by
their Angolan left-back Sandro Cruz cannoned off the crossbar. They
still took the lead just before the break when Mykola Kukharevych headed
in a deflected cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536060/191547-Record_2026_07_29_20_59_34_402.mp4
Out of nowhere Iberia were level, after the Slovakian defence had lost
a ball Nika Sikharulashvili found himself with space at the edge of the
area, and he beat Slovan's new Serbian keeper Aleksandar Popovi-c with a sumptuous shot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/536060/191555-Record_2026_07_29_21_23_36_780.mp4
Iberia then had one more chance to make the tie interesting again when
from a corner kick a header by the Nigerian substitute Ibrahim Alhassan whistled just past the post.



League Path

G||rnik Zabrze (POL) v FENERBAH|cE SK (TUR)* 1-1 (1-1), 1-2 on aggregate (S|i-iek 45'+10; Talisca 12' (pen))

After having held the Turkish favourites to a narrow win in the first
game the Polish runners-up did themselves no favour early in the second
leg when on occasion of a corner kick Milan +akriniar made a meal out of
a clumsy wrestling move by Luk|i+i Sad|!lek, elder brother of Slavia
Prague's Michal Sad|!lek, and Talisca blasted in the resulting VAR
penalty. Fener keeper Mert G|+nok then did well to keep out Erik Jan++a's free-kick, but in the last minute of a lengthy first-half stoppage time, necessitated by a pyrotechnics break after the penalty, G||rnik scored a surprising equaliser - Erik Prekop accidentally blocked Yvan Ikia
Dimi's shot with his stomach, the loose ball created chaos in the
Turkish box, and Czech right-back Michal S|i-iek reacted the fastest and
fired the loose ball in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/pl/football/2026/536059/191557-gornik4.mp4 Fenerbah|oe were the more dangerous team in the second half as well, with G||rnik's German keeper Philipp Schulze bailing the Poles out several
times, but with the result as close as it was there were some tense
moments for the Turks until the final whistle.

The Ekstraklasa is close to reaching the Top 10 in the UEFA ranking, but
they won't have a team in the Champions League for the tenth year in a
row - and Legia Warsaw's 2016-17 campaign was Poland's only CL group
stage participation in the 21st century.
They have been farming a lot of coefficient points in the Conference
League though.



Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)
Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v FC Kairat (KAZ)*
AGF (DEN)* v Sabah FK (AZE)
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v NK Celje (SLO)*
Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*


League Path

Olympiacos FC (GRE)* v NEC (NED)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)*
Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)*


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 20/07/2026 12:22, Werner Pichler wrote:

Werner Pichler <wpichler@gmail.com> wrote:

Qualifying scheme:
https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png


Draw for Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round (July 21/22 and 28/29)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLQ3, Losers go to ELQ3

The winners of these ties are already guaranteed at least Conference
League group stage (for teams in the Champions Path), or Europa League
group stage (for teams in the League Path)


Champions Path

Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB)*
Larne FC (NIR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*
Sabah FK (AZE) v KuPS (FIN)*
K|i (FAR) v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)*
AGF (DEN) v KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)*
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)*

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)* v CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM)
AC Omonoia (CYP)* v FC Kairat (KAZ)
FC Thun (SUI) v GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)*
KF V|!kingur (ISL) v Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)*
FC Iberia 1999 (GEO) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
KF Egnatia (ALB) v NK Celje*


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v G||rnik Zabrze (POL)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)* v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)

Draw for Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round (August 4/5 and 11)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to ELPO, Losers in
the League Path go to EL League Stage

Champions Path

FC Thun (SUI)/GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* v K|i (FAR)/FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU) Mj|nllby AIF (SWE)/Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v FC Iberia 1999 (GEO)/+aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)*
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)/CS Universitatea Craiova (ROM) v AC Omonoia (CYP)/FC Kairat (KAZ)*
AGF (DEN)/KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v Sabah FK (AZE)/KuPS (FIN)
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM)/Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) v KF Egnatia (ALB)/NK
Celje*
KF V|!kingur (ISL)/Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR) v Larne FC (NIR)/FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)*

League Path

Olympiacos FC (GRE)* v NEC (NED)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)*
Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)/G||rnik Zabrze (POL)* v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)/Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)*

Draw for Champions League Playoff (August 18/19 and 25/26)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CL League Stage, Losers go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)/FC Kairat (KAZ) v AEK FC (GRE)*
Celtic FC (SCO)* v LASK (AUT)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)/FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU)* v Viking FK (NOR)
Mj|nllby AIF (SWE)/+aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)* v FC Ararat-Armenia
(ARM)/NK Celje (SLO)
Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)/FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)* v AGF (DEN)/Sabah FK
(AZE)

I guess Mj|nllby/Slovan/Celje/Ararat-Armenia will be this year's
Kairat or Pafos.


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)/SK Sturm Graz (AUT) v AC Sparta Praha
(CZE)/Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)*
Olympiacos FC (GRE)/NEC (NED) v Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL)/FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)*


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 30/07/2026 03.36, Werner Pichler wrote:

KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v AGF (DEN) 1-4 aet (0-1, 0-3), 5-5 on aggregate, AGF win 4-3 on penalties
(Jagie+e+eo 95'; Bech 32', Arnstad 55' (pen), Tingager 75',
Kristj|insson 100')

Now as I've already written (and corrected myself), this was historic -
after 71 years and thousands of ties in the European cups the first ever 'true' home-and-away tie in which a team still progresses following a three-goal defeat at home. Dinamo Bucharest's 0-3 home loss against
Slovan Liberec in 2009 was a UEFA punishment for a pitch invasion when
the score was still 0-2, and in 2024 Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't actually
play their home leg against Olympiakos at home.

Would it be unkind of me to mention that the first leg wasn't played at
home here either?

FK CRVENA ZVEZDA (SRB)* v Larne FC (NIR) 5-0 (2-0), 9-0 on aggregate
(Katai 3', Arnautovi-c 45'+4, 60', Loizou 49', Bukari 79'

Almost my favourite result of the round.

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 05/08/2026 19:39, Jesper Lauridsen wrote:

On 30/07/2026 03.36, Werner Pichler wrote:

KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)* v AGF (DEN) 1-4 aet (0-1, 0-3), 5-5 on
aggregate, AGF win 4-3 on penalties
(Jagie+e+eo 95'; Bech 32', Arnstad 55' (pen), Tingager 75',
Kristj|insson 100')

Now as I've already written (and corrected myself), this was historic -
after 71 years and thousands of ties in the European cups the first ever
'true' home-and-away tie in which a team still progresses following a
three-goal defeat at home. Dinamo Bucharest's 0-3 home loss against
Slovan Liberec in 2009 was a UEFA punishment for a pitch invasion when
the score was still 0-2, and in 2024 Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't actually
play their home leg against Olympiakos at home.

Would it be unkind of me to mention that the first leg wasn't played at
home here either?

But you still played in Denmark. Maccabi played their 'home' leg in Serbia.

Ciao,
Werner

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png

Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 1st leg
* = seeded team


August 4

Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)* 1-2 (0-0)
(Stroud 61' (pen); Camara 78', Kianga 90'+4)

Mj|nllby keeper Robin Wallinder almost gifted the Slovakians an early
goal when he left his net to clear a long ball but didn't come anywhere
near it, a short header by Tom Pettersson fell straight to Slovan
striker Mykola Kukharevych, but the Ukrainian's weak volley in direction
of the empty net was scraped away in front of the goal line by Denmark-
born Pakistani international Abdullah Iqbal: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537966/192627-Record_2026_08_04_18_11_56_569.mp4
Gambian striker Alasana Yirajang then missed another golden opportunity
for Slovan when two metres from the gaping net he wasn't able to steer
in a cross by Panamanian World Cup starter Cristian Mart|!nez. But
Mj|nllby were the better team coming out of the gate in the second half,
and after Jeppe Kj|ar, six years ago the youngest player ever in the
Danish Superliga, had been denied one-on-one by Slovan keeper Dominik
Tak|i-i the Swedes took the lead thanks to a handball penalty, awarded following a lengthy VAR check and despatched by Elliot Stroud, one of Mj|nllby's key players during their title run.

Now we all know Mj|nllby is a great story, fishing village and all that,
but in this match Slovan actually provided the better narratives.

First there was Suleiman Camara - he had been signed by Slovan just one
day before this match from Racing Santander, where the Spanish-Gambian
winger had been a frequent sub for the team that comfortably won
La Liga 2 last season, and so Camara literally joined his new team at
the airport. He was subbed in shortly after the hour mark to make his
debut, and just twelve minutes later he beat Wallinder with an angled
shot into the far corner for Slovan's equaliser: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537966/192654-Record_2026_08_04_19_33_58_914.mp4

What's more, Spanish and Slovakian media dug out an eleven-year old
commercial for African communications provider Airtel Kenya in which
Yaya Tour|- - back then brand ambassador, currently Slovan Bratislava
manager - met a 13-year-old Camara who showed off a couple of stepovers
and a rainbow flick, and in a sky blue shirt to boot, anticipating the
colour of Slovan's jersey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QkmnH9_Bu0
BTW the scenes on the 'African' football pitch in the spot were shot in
the mountains near Barcelona. Catalonia-born Camara was playing in
Girona's youth setup back then.

But even better than Camara's is the story of the guy who was set up by
Camara to score Slovan's stoppage time winner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537966/192659-Record_2026_08_04_19_50_20_306.mp4

A little over a year ago, 24-year-old English striker Manasse 'Manny'
Kianga was still playing for Rossington Main FC near Doncaster in the
Northern Counties East League Premier Division, which is the 9th (!)
English tier (but also the league that Sheffield FC, the oldest
surviving independent football club in the world, played in that year).
In the summer of 2025 Kianga made the bold move to leave Yorkshire and
join Slovakian third-division side Lokomotiva Ko+iice, where he impressed enough to be noticed by Slovan scout and former player Erik Grendel, and
he was signed during the winter break to play for Slovan B who compete
in the Slovakian 2nd tier. A slew of injuries during the summer then
forced Yaya Tour|-'s hand to rely on reinforcements from their reserve
team, and so Kianga got his chance both in the league and CL qualifiers,
and now has actually scored in both. Unsurprisingly, he's already a fan favourite.


FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v NK Celje (SLO)* 2-1 (1-1)
(Serobyan 38', Fran|oa 70'; Se+ilar 22' (pen))

In this duel between two Portuguese managers, Ararat-Armenia's Tulipa
and Celje's V|!tor Campelos, it was another Portuguese who played a big
role early on as Ararat-Armenia centre-back Bruno Wilson blocked a shot
by Mario Kvesi-c with his arm, and Svit Se+ilar converted the ensuing
penalty. Celje then could have made it two when their Lithuanian striker Armandas Ku-iys slid into a cross and steered it against the far post,
and they came to rue that miss just three minutes later as a great
free-kick by Artur Serobyan sailed over the Slovenian wall and Celje
keeper ++an-Luk Leban: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537967/192634-Record_2026_08_04_18_38_35_65.mp4
After the break it was the Armenians' turn to hit the woodwork when a
difficult header by Bissau-Guinean international Zidane Banjaqui went
off the upright: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537967/192643-Record_2026_08_04_19_11_00_17.mp4
but they still got the winner on the break as left-back Edgar Grigoryan
raced clear on the wing and he centred for the Brazilian substitute
Fran|oa to tap in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537967/192652-Record_2026_08_04_19_29_37_995.mp4
Late on Kvesi-c's scissor-kick volley was acrobatic but not accurate
enough to beat Ararat-Armenia's Brazilian keeper Jo|uo Bravim, and
Australian youth international Yaya Dukuly sent the rebound over the
crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537967/192656-Record_2026_08_04_19_41_34_913.mp4


PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v FC Kairat (KAZ)* 1-0 (0-0)
(Serginho 90'+2)

Kairat played for the scoreless draw from the start, without a single
shot either on or off target all game, and they almost got away with it,
too, but in stoppage time a shot from distance by Portuguese midfielder Serginho was unluckily deflected in by Kairat's 38-year-old Belarusian
captain and stalwart defender Aleksandr Martynovich: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537968/192699-Record_2026_08_04_21_25_17_37.mp4


Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR) v FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)* 1-0 (1-0)
(Ahmed 38'; Red Card: Baltaxa (Hap) 60')

In Szombathely in Western Hungary near the Austrian border Red Star had
more of the game early on, but they gave away a cheap goal when their
veteran Brazilian keeper Matheus underhit a pass towards Derrick
Luckassen, and Zahi Ahmed pounced for an easy finish: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537969/192666-Record_2026_08_04_20_08_32_875.mp4
Only a couple of minutes later the Israeli champions could have added
another but Matan Baltaxa's free header went off the crossbar. After
the break Baltaxa managed the quite unique feat to get himself sent off
by committing two cautionable offences in the space of three seconds,
and one couldn't really argue about either one: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537969/192685-Record_2026_08_04_20_48_02_913.mp4
but against ten men Red Star surprisingly didn't get anything going, and
they were even lucky that another Hapoel Be'er-Sheva goal was disallowed
for offside. On the other hand, a way too harsh red card to Luckassen
for an alleged elbow was downgraded by VAR to a yellow.


GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* v FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU) 5-0 (3-0)
(Zajc 32', McKenna 33', Lisica 51', Stojkovi-c 77', Ka-iavenda 90'+4)

Slovenian veteran Miha Zajc opened the scoring with a shot from twenty
metres that Kauno ++algiris keeper Tomas +avedkauskas got a hand to but
only pushed against the inside of the post from where it went in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537970/192677-Record_2026_08_04_20_32_01_713.mp4
Just a minute later Scottish centre-back Scott McKenna volleyed in
Matteo P|-rez Vinl||f's deflected cross. After the break Mateo Lisica
curled in a powerful shot from outside the area to make it three: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537970/192698-Record_2026_08_04_21_12_00_182.mp4
Luka Stojkovi-c likewise beat +avedkauskas with a shot from the edge of
the D that pinged in off the post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537970/192705-Record_2026_08_04_21_37_53_343.mp4
and in stoppage time the substitute Lukas Ka-iavenda finished off a
counter attack at the second attempt after +avedkauskas had initially
done well to save one-on-one.


League Path

Olympiacos FC (GRE)* v NEC (NED) 0-0 (0-0)

The biggest chance of the match fell to Nijmegen in their Champions
League debut, and return to Europe after eighteen years, but a header
by Netherlands youth international Sami Ouaissa went off the left post. Olympiacos didn't offer much at all, and boos rang out from the stands
in Piraeus at the final whistle.


Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)* 3-3 (2-2)
(Florucz 25', 45'+5, David 88'; Berg 20', Blomberg 29' (pen),
Bj|+rtuft 90'+1)

This hipster derby was actually not played in Brussels, where Union
still haven't brought their own stadium up to speed regarding UEFA requirements, but instead 100 kilometres away in Oostende. Bod|+/Glimt
captain Patrick Berg opened the scoring with a nice direct free-kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537972/192682-Zaznam%20obrazovky%202026-08-04%20204318.mp4
but Union's Austrian winger Raul Florucz soon equalised by meeting a
loose ball from a corner kick with a volley that went through a forest
of legs: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537972/192690-Union%201.mp4 Only four minutes later though Bod|+/Glimt were awarded a penalty after
Kevin Mac Allister, brother of Alexis, had clipped Ola Brynhildsen from
behind, and Ole Didrik Blomberg sent Union keeper Vic Chambaere the
wrong way from the spot. Just before the break Florucz equalised once
more, and again with a volley, this time a more acrobatic effort from
a pin-point cross by Brazilian winger Guilherme Smith, whom the
Belgians, or rather Tony Bloom's data analysts, had once found in
Estonia: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537972/192688-Union%202.mp4 The second half was way more subdued, but two minutes from time Promise
David cut inside past centre-back Odin Bj|+rtuft and with a precise shot
into the near corner surprised Nikita Haykin in the Norwegian net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537972/192707-Union%203.mp4 Bj|+rtuft made amends three minutes later when he rose highest to head in
a Berg free-kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537972/192710-Bodo%203.mp4


AC Sparta Praha (CZE) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)* 2-1 (0-1)
(Ryne+i 63', Mercado 69'; Suchomel 45' (og))

An early goal by Erling Haaland's first cousin Jonatan Braut Brunes,
newly signed by Sparta from Rak||w Cz-Ostochowa, was disallowed by VAR for offside, and Sparta's Ecuadorian winger John Mercado also managed to
fire the ball over the empty net from three metres out: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537973/192683-Record_2026_08_04_20_45_02_369.mp4
Instead, it was Lyon who took the lead when a low cross by Brazilian
left-back Abner Vin|!cius went off the thigh of Martin Suchomel and past
Sparta keeper Jakub Surov-i|!k: https://media.giphy.com/media/R4KHNlO0X7DjibL61J/giphy.gif
After the break Surov-i|!k pulled off a great save to deny Corentin
Tolisso from close range while at the other end Sparta saw yet another
goal cancelled for offside. A tumultuous six-minute stretch started when
former T|+rkg|+c|+ and Austria Klagenfurt midfielder Andy Irving sent a
ball over the top and Mat-cj Ryne+i held off a challenge by Abner Vinicius before volleying past Lyon keeper Dominik Greif, a Slovakian like his counterpart Surov-i|!k: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537973/192709-Record_2026_08_04_21_56_31_233.mp4
Two minutes later Adam +aev|!nsk|+ wrestled down Lo|>s Openda to give away
a penalty for Lyon that Tolisso sent over the crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537973/192703-Record_2026_08_04_21_32_20_581.mp4
and again just a couple of minutes after that Mercado made amends for
his earlier miss by heading in Ryne+i's looping cross: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537973/192701-Record_2026_08_04_21_29_07_434.mp4


August 5

Champions Path

AGF (DEN)* v Sabah FK (AZE) 2-1 (1-0)
(Bogere 32', 63'; Simi-c 67')

In an even match with chances on both sides Aarhus took the lead when
Ugandan international James Bogere latched on to a blocked shot with a
great volley into the top corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192868-Record_2026_08_05_20_01_19_485.mp4
In the second half a shot from a tight angle by Sabah's German-Rwandan
forward Joy-Lance Mickels went off the far post, and instead at the
other end Bogere continued to cultivate his predilection for volleying
into the roof of the net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192876-Record_2026_08_05_20_34_50_3.mp4
Four minutes later the Azeri champions deservedly pulled one back when
Uzbek midfielder Umarali Rakhmonaliev teed up Veljko Simi-c to slot in
from near the penalty spot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192878-Record_2026_08_05_20_37_56_948.mp4
Sabah then hit the woodwork once more, this time through a nice volley
by Rakhmonaliev that crashed off the crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192886-Record_2026_08_05_20_48_11_409.mp4
and in the last minute a chaotic equaliser for the Azeri was disallowed
by VAR for a close offside.


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v SK Sturm Graz (AUT) 2-0 (2-0)
(Talisca 10', Greenwood 45')

Fener dominated in the first half and took a deserved lead through
Talisca whose turn-and-shot beat Sturm's Russian keeper Daniil
Khudyakov: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537975/192870-Record_2026_08_05_20_11_39_413.mp4
By and large I would have much preferred it if Mason Greenwood of all
people hadn't scored against my club, but following a short corner kick
his shot from distance beat Khudyakov at the near post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537975/192885-Record_2026_08_05_20_46_59_752.mp4
The match was more even in the second half, but Sturm weren't able to
create any clear-cut opportunities. Instead, Khudyakov twice had to deny Talisca with excellent saves.


Ciao,
Werner
--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

On 06/08/2026 03.49, Werner Pichler wrote:

Champions Path

AGF (DEN)* v Sabah FK (AZE) 2-1 (1-0)

It feels like this will decide CL or conference.

(Bogere 32', 63'; Simi-c 67')

In an even match with chances on both sides Aarhus took the lead when
Ugandan international James Bogere latched on to a blocked shot with a
great volley into the top corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192868- Record_2026_08_05_20_01_19_485.mp4

This could be his first senior goal. He also scored against S|+nderjyske
in May, but that shot took a string deflection so some has it as an own
goal (but that goal was all about the crowd reaction, though).

In the second half a shot from a tight angle by Sabah's German-Rwandan forward Joy-Lance Mickels went off the far post, and instead at the
other end Bogere continued to cultivate his predilection for volleying
into the roof of the net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192876- Record_2026_08_05_20_34_50_3.mp4
Four minutes later the Azeri champions deservedly pulled one back when
Uzbek midfielder Umarali Rakhmonaliev teed up Veljko Simi-c to slot in
from near the penalty spot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192878- Record_2026_08_05_20_37_56_948.mp4
Sabah then hit the woodwork once more, this time through a nice volley
by Rakhmonaliev that crashed off the crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537974/192886- Record_2026_08_05_20_48_11_409.mp4
and in the last minute a chaotic equaliser for the Azeri was disallowed
by VAR for a close offside.

This match also so the debut of last minute transfer Colin R||sler. I
think his father used to play a bit and now dabbles in management?

League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR)* v SK Sturm Graz (AUT) 2-0 (2-0)
(Talisca 10', Greenwood 45')

Fener dominated in the first half and took a deserved lead through
Talisca whose turn-and-shot beat Sturm's Russian keeper Daniil
Khudyakov:
https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537975/192870- Record_2026_08_05_20_11_39_413.mp4
By and large I would have much preferred it if Mason Greenwood of all
people hadn't scored against my club, but following a short corner kick
his shot from distance beat Khudyakov at the near post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537975/192885- Record_2026_08_05_20_46_59_752.mp4
The match was more even in the second half, but Sturm weren't able to
create any clear-cut opportunities. Instead, Khudyakov twice had to deny Talisca with excellent saves.

Ciao,
Werner

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From Newsgroup: rec.sport.soccer

Qualifying scheme: https://kassiesa.net/uefa/files/2024-27-uefa-club-competitions-scheme.png

Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round 2nd leg
Teams in CAPITALS through to CLPO, Losers in the Champions Path go to
ELPO, Losers in the League Path go to EL League Stage
* = seeded team


August 11

Champions Path

FC Kairat (KAZ)* v PFC LEVSKI SOFIA (BUL) 0-1 (0-1), 0-2 on aggregate
(Reinaldo 13')

It's now safe to say that Reinaldo has indeed been an inspired signing
by Levski as the Brazilian also proved to be crucial in Kazakhstan, with
his goal now guaranteeing the Bulgarians at least Europa League
football. Admittedly, Reinaldo got some help from Kairat keeper Temirlan Anarbekov who let the shot from distance slip by him: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537976/193927-Record_2026_08_11_17_13_46_111.mp4
In the second half Reinaldo also rattled the crossbar, and his
Portuguese teammate Serginho, who had arrived in Sofia in the same
package from Ponta Delgada's Santa Clara, hit the woodwork, too.

BTW Kairat couldn't play this at home but travelled 700 kms to the city
of Turkistan, because use of the Almaty Central Stadium had been blocked
by nothing less than a Kanye West concert.


SABAH FK (AZE) v AGF (DEN)* 4-0 (0-0), 5-2 on aggregate
(Simi-c 59', Solvet 67', Mickels 79', Severina 89')

The first half was rather uneventful and it appeared as if the Danish
champions could control the match and maintain their slender first-leg advantage, but things fell apart at the hour mark when a bad pass by
their captain Kristian Arnstad led to AGF losing the ball in front of
their own area, German-born Rwandan international Joy-Lance Mickels
reacted quickly to slip a ball through for Veljko Simi-c, and the Serbian expertly skipped past two challenges and wrong-footed Aarhus keeper
Hedenstad to chip the ball into the gaping net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537977/193993-Record_2026_08_11_19_20_46_95.mp4
Eight minutes later Guadeloupean international Steve Solvet was left all
alone in the middle of the box to head in Aleksey Isayev's free-kick: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537977/194000-Record_2026_08_11_19_28_08_117.mp4
AGF's defensive gifts continued, Hedenstad's punt fell way too short and
onto the head of Isayev, and he immediately sent the ball to Simi-c who
teed up Mickels to fire in at the second attempt: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537977/194006-Record_2026_08_11_19_39_50_888.mp4
Another lost ball by Aarhus in their own half then led to a quick counter-attack at the end of which Sabah's other Caribbean, former
Cura|oao international Xander Severina, from a tight angle beat Hedenstad
at his near post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537977/194011-Record_2026_08_11_19_50_25_978.mp4

Sabah are indeed a worthy successor to the previous Azerbaijani mainstay
in Europe, Qaraba-f. They're a hard nut to crack, especially away in
Baku.


FK Kauno ++algiris (LTU) v GNK DINAMO ZAGREB (CRO)* 1-2 (0-2), 1-7 on aggregate
(Debeljuh 56'; Ka-iavenda 19', Mi+ii-c 30'; Red Card: Filipovi-c (Din) 32')

Dinamo continued as in the first leg and took the early lead when Luka Stojkovi-c slipped a ball into the box for Mateo Lisica, his cut-back
cross was controlled by Dion Beljo, and the former Rapid Vienna flop unselfishly teed up Lukas Ka-iavenda for the easy finish: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537979/193994-Record_2026_08_11_19_21_23_465.mp4
The Croatians made it two thanks to a great shot from distance by their
veteran midfielder Josip Mi+ii-c who curled the ball perfectly into the
top corner: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537979/193999-Record_2026_08_11_19_32_11_196.mp4
Dinamo keeper Ivan Filipovi-c then must have thought that things were
going simply too smoothly because he rather unnecessarily left his net
to chase down a long ball, and instead of the ball caught the elbow of
Motiejus Burba, earning himself a red card: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537979/194001-Record_2026_08_11_19_33_59_141.mp4
Against ten men, Kauno ++algiris managed to pull one back thanks to two Croatians - Filipovi-c's replacement Ivan Nevisti-c wasn't able to hold
onto Leon Krekovi-c's shot, and Gabriel Debeljuh, who had moved to
Lithuania this summer after many years in Romania, tapped in the
rebound: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537979/194022-Record_2026_08_11_20_17_05_221.mp4
But Dinamo still rather easily held on to the win and all UEFA
coefficient points.


FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)* v HAPOEL BE'ER-SHEVA FC (ISR) 0-2 (0-0), 0-3 on aggregate
(Zlatanovi-c 61', East 79'; Red Cards: Stankovi-c (Crv, manager) 57',
Abu Fani (Crv) 90'+2)

Another surprisingly lacklustre performance by Red Star, and it was a
Serbian striker that put the final nail in their coffin, Igor Zlatanovi-c
fired into the gaping net following some schoolboy defending on occasion
of a counter attack: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537981/194065-Record_2026_08_11_22_10_16_408.mp4
Late on former Jamaican international Javon East added a second by
volleying in Eliel Peretz's cross from short range, and in stoppage time Mohammad Abu Fani, the Israeli international on Red Star's side, saw a
red card for kicking Be'er-Sheva's Brazilian midfielder Lucas Ventura.
Red Star manager Dejan Stankovi-c had also seen a second yellow for
losing his head after the Swedish ref had turned down a penalty claim,
and directly after the match he announced his resignation. It appears as
if certified nutcase Albert Riera will be appointed as his successor, so
that could be fun.


+aK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA (SLK)* v Mj|nllby AIF (SWE) 2-0 (0-0), 4-1 on aggregate (Camara 47', Yirajang 78')

Just like in the first leg Slovan's new Spanish-Gambian signing Suleiman
Camara proved decisive as he beat Mj|nllby keeper Robin Wallinder with
a lovely curler: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537982/194041-Record_2026_08_11_21_18_03_444.mp4
Late on Slovan's other Gambian Alasana Yirajang made it two with a low
shot from a tight angle: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537982/194060-Record_2026_08_11_21_49_20_209.mp4

Ever since they've won the Swedish cup in May earlier this year,
Mj|nllby's only win in their last twelve games has been the 3-0 over Gibraltarian champions Lincoln Red Imps. In the Allsvenskan they have
dropped to 13th, just one place above the relegation play-off spot, and
they've just sold their only Swedish international Elliot Stroud to
Hull City. The fairy tale appears to be over.


NK CELJE (SLO)* v FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) 2-0 (0-0), 3-2 on aggregate
(Dukuly 83', Verbi-i 85')

Celje had the better opportunities from the start, but Ararat-Armenia's Brazilian keeper Jo|uo Bravim did well to keep out Matic Ivan+iek's close- range header, and also saved against Milot Avdyli as well as Benjamin
Verbi-i's follow-up: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537983/194049-Record_2026_08_11_21_23_49_217.mp4
At the other end a goal by Sandro Lima was disallowed for a close
offside. Just when it appeared as if the Armenian underdogs would hold
on to their slim first-leg advantage the Australian substitute Yaya
Dukuly scored the aggregate equaliser, beating Jo|uo Bravim with a nice turn-and-shot: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537983/194066-Record_2026_08_11_22_12_12_40.mp4
and just two minutes later the Slovenians even got the winner thanks to
Verbi-i - the former Copenhagen and Dynamo Kyiv striker, back with his
hometown club after eleven seasons abroad, likewise collected a loose
ball in the box and turned to fire past Jo|uo Bravim: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537983/194062-Record_2026_08_11_21_59_47_536.mp4
Two minutes from the end the Armenian should have sent the tie to extra
time after Sandro Lima had stolen the ball off centre-back Darko Hrka,
but his point-blank effort was parried by Celje keeper ++an-Luk Leban,
and the follow-up by his Brazilian compatriot Fran|oa was headed off the
goal line by Verbi-i who had rushed back, thereby emblematising how
defence really starts with the forwards: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537983/194064-Record_2026_08_11_22_09_25_594.mp4


League Path

FK BOD|y/GLIMT (NOR)* v Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 3-2 aet (0-0,
2-2), 6-5 on aggregate
(Blomberg 51', Hauge 76', Helmersen 117'; Guilherme Smith 62',
Fuseini 88'; Red Cards: Van de Perre (USG) 90'+6, Florucz (USG) 120'+5,
Zorgane (USG) 120'+5)

Early on Ola Brynhildsen's point-blank header only skimmed the crossbar
while at the other end Promise David twice missed from promising
positions, so the first half ended scoreless. That changed shortly after
the break when Ole Didrik Blomberg sent in a great shot from the edge of
the box that crashed in off the crossbar: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537978/193989-Record_2026_08_11_19_12_13_62.mp4
Three minutes later Union missed a great chance when right-back Louis
Patris hit the post after having been played through by Adem Zorgane
on the break, but the Belgians still managed to equalise thanks to their Brazilian winger Guilherme Smith, like his striking partner Promise
David once brought to Brussels from N||mme Kalju in Estonia, who just as Blomberg before him curled one in from just outside the area: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537978/193995-Record_2026_08_11_19_22_50_380.mp4
A typical Bod|+ goal then gave the Norwegians the lead again, following
some slick passing on their artificial pitch Blomberg centred for
Andreas Helmersen, the substitute saw his initial effort saved by USG
keeper Vic Chambaere, but Helmersen recovered quickly to collect the
rebound and play it back towards Jens Petter Hauge who had no problems
slotting in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537978/194003-Record_2026_08_11_19_35_48_247.mp4
Two minutes from time former Sturm Graz forward Mohammed Fuseini
levelled the aggregate score again for Union thanks to a fine solo
effort - he won the ball against two Norwegians near the corner of the
box and curled a shot into the far side of the net. Things came to a
head in stoppage time - first Chambaere twice denied Bod|+/Glimt the
winner with excellent saves, then Romanian referee Istv|in Kov|ics at
the same time blew the final whistle and showed Union Saint-Gilloise
midfielder Kamiel Van de Perre a second yellow for a reckless tackle on
Hauge, having played the advantage before. In extra time ten Belgians
held on for a long time, also thanks to two more great saves by
Chambaere, but three minutes from the end they nevertheless unluckily
conceded the decisive goal - Odin Bj|+rtuft's close-range header was
volleyed off the goal line by Massir|- Sylla, but only as far as the head
of Helmersen from where it bounced in: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537978/194023-Record_2026_08_11_20_41_01_803.mp4
Things got ugly after the final whistle, with a lot of pushing and
shoving around the ref as the Belgians were supremely unhappy about
Van De Perre's dismissal (not much to complain about there if you ask
me - yeah his first yellow had been soft but the second was dark
orange), and both Adem Zorgane and the Austrian substitute Raul Florucz
were officially sent off and will now likely have to serve a three-match
ban in Europe.


NEC (NED) v Olympiacos FC (GRE)* 2-1 aet (0-0, 1-1), 2-1 on aggregate
(Linssen 70', Mor 95'; El Kaabi 46'; Red Card: Fortounis (Oly) 77')

The most notable thing about the first half were three injury-related substitutions, two on Nijmegen's side and one for the Greeks. Right
after the break Olympiacos broke the deadlock when NEC's Argentine
keeper Gonzalo Crettaz weakly punched out a cross by Portuguese
youngster Gustavo S|i, arrived on loan from Marinakis's other club
Nottingham Forest, and only as far as Ayoub El Kaabi who turned quickly
to fire into the empty net: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537980/194021-Record_2026_08_11_20_34_54_28.mp4
NEC equalised thanks to a fast counter attack, a clever back-heel by
Danish RB Salzburg loanee Clement Bischoff released Du+ian Tadi-c, 37 by
now and back in the Netherlands after his time in Turkey and Abu Dhabi,
and the Serbian centred expertly for veteran striker Bryan Linssen who
stabbed the ball home: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537980/194033-Record_2026_08_11_20_59_16_118.mp4
The ultimately decisive moment of the tie came seven minutes later when
Kostas Fortounis, the guy who had come on for Olympiacos as a first-half substitute, collected a VAR red card for an unnecessary studs-up
challenge against the ankle of NEC's Croatian midfielder Darko Neja+imi-c.
The Dutch thought they had won it in stoppage time when Kaj Sierhuis
headed in a cross by Emre Mor, but after a two-minute check the goal was disallowed by VAR for a super-close offside in the build-up. But five
minutes into extra time the Danish-born former Turkish international
scored the winner himself, having been in the right place at the right
time to fire in a deflected loose ball in the box: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537980/194057-Record_2026_08_11_21_36_10_237.mp4
But previously Mor had perhaps also shown one possible reason why his
career hasn't quite turned out as one might have expected back when he
joined Borussia Dortmund as an 18-year-old wonderkid - when he was
supposed to come on in the first half he wasn't allowed onto the pitch
for several minutes because of an earring which he had taped over in a makeshift fashion, something his coach Dick Schreuder afterwards called 'unacceptable at his level'. Anyway, Mor was in tears after his decisive
goal, but whether this was because he's now seeing an opportunity to
salvage his career after having been frozen out for an entire year at Fenerbah|oe or because it still hurt where he ripped out the earring,
who's to say.


SK Sturm Graz (AUT) v FENERBAH|cE SK (TUR)* 0-1 (0-0), 0-3 on aggregate (Talisca 66' (pen))

Similar to the first game there was a lot of huffing and puffing by
Sturm, but precious little in terms of creating dangerous situations
up front, while Fener showed a very mature performance, calmly defending
the first-leg result and exploiting mistakes when they could - such as
when Sturm's new Serbian centre-back Petar Petrovi-c was a split-second
late to defend a cross, and Talisca stole in front of him to expertly
draw a penalty which he converted himself.


OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS (FRA)* v AC Sparta Praha (CZE) 3-0 (1-0), 4-2 on
aggregate
(Nuamah 20', Maitland-Niles 66', Morton 72';
Red Card: +aev|!nsk|+ (Spa) 34')

Sparta's Slovakian keeper Jakub Surov-i|!k awkwardly saved Corentin
Tolisso's long-distance drive, and Ghanaian winger Ernest Nuamah slotted
in the rebound: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537985/194045-Record_2026_08_11_21_20_30_555.mp4
The Czechs had one big chance to equalise but Adam Karabec sent a free
header high over the crossbar, and four minutes later they were reduced
to ten after centre-back Adam +aev|!nsk|+ had pulled back Juventus loanee

s Openda as last man. Ten Czechs held on for another half hour since Surov-i|!k made a couple of good saves and a curled shot by Tyler Morton

only hit the crossbar, but an Englishman still scored the decisive goal
as Ainsley Maitland-Niles tapped in a Tolisso cross at the far post: https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537985/194070-Record_2026_08_11_22_22_57_358.mp4
Six minutes later Morton latched on to a loose ball and fired in
underneath the crossbar to put the result out of reach. https://media.onlajny.com/media/cs/football/2026/537985/194072-Record_2026_08_11_22_29_46_825.mp4



Draw for Champions League Playoff (August 18/19 and 25/26)
* = seeded team

Winners go to CL League Stage, Losers go to EL League Stage


Champions Path

PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v AEK FC (GRE)*
Celtic FC (SCO)* v LASK (AUT)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)* v Viking FK (NOR)
+aK Slovan Bratislava (SLK)* v NK Celje (SLO)
Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)* v Sabah FK (AZE)


League Path

Fenerbah|oe SK (TUR) v Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)*
NEC (NED) v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)*


Ciao,
Werner
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