#21

Hoping for Rosenborg vs Celtic tonight to be relatively stress-free (that’s my main hope for all the qualifying rounds really). If we score first we should be fine, if not then it’ll get nervy.

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#22

Same for Sturm Graz v Ajax. The two goal buffer should be enough, but concede a goal early and it could go all horribly wrong.

#23

i think it’d take a monumental collapse for us to go out tonight, Rosenborg looked totally one-dimensional last week (pumping high baws up to the lord)

#24

A Polska colleague just alerted me to a game that took place last night between Spartak Tranava of Slovakia and Legia Warsaw.

For whatever reason, the pitch in Tranava had been painted to make it look green and all the players ended up getting covered in green paint. Can only find articles in Polish or Slovak about it, but you can see the pictures at least…

#25

is it cos the heatwave dried up the grass and made it yellow?

haha

#26

Pretty much, yeah.

Should’ve done that with the garden, make the neighbours jealous of your pristine lawn.

#27

Have had this a couple of times when having our annual work matches at Watford. They’re always after the last game of the season for them and they’ve coated the pitch in whatever it is they use to make it pop more on telly. You end up with completely blue toes and your boots getting stained and that, it’s really odd.

#28

would agree with this is any other circumstance but c’mon, it’s for the coefficient cup!

#29

Ajax beat Sturm Graz 3 - 1 making it 5 - 1 on aggregate. Next up will be Standard Luik on Tuesday for a place in the Champions League proper.

Other teams that went through tonight : Celtic, BATE Borisov, FC Astana, FK Qarabag, Malmö FF, Red Star Belgrade, PAOK Salonika and MOL Vidi.

Biggest flop of the night was FC Basel, and we could hear a big sigh of relief in Manchester as a result.

#30

are there any teams still in who could get through to the group stage for the first time ever?

#31

Without checking properly, I’d say PAOK Salonika (playing Spartak Moscow), Spartak Trnava (playing Red Star Belgrade), FC Astana (playing Dinamo Zagreb), MOL Vidi (playing Malmo FF) and Shkendija (playing RB Salzburg).

All playing tough opposition, but nothing is impossible.

#32

Basel faulty

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#33

Big night in the Champions League: the first leg of the third qualification round will take place tonight and tomorrow.

Ajax have a tricky away match at Standard Luik, but a score draw or a win should be enough to get the desired result in the return leg in Amsterdam and progress to the CL proper. Kasper Dolberg and Siem de Jong haven’t traveled to Belgium, but newbies Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic are both fit and available for selection.

Standard Luik are managed by former goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme, who you may remember as the first choice for Belgium some time ago, culminating in winning “best goalkeeper” at the 1994 World Cup in the US.

Other matches tonight:

FC Astana v Dinamo Zagreb
FK Qarabag v BATE Borisov
Malmö FF v MOL Vidi
Slavia Prague v Dynamo Kiev
Red Star Belgrade v Spartak Trnava
Benfica v Fenerbahçe

Not shown on telly in the UK, obviously.

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#34

All looking good so far: 2 - 0 up at half time with goals by Huntelaar and Tadic.

#35

Standard have pulled one back and are trying everything to score the equaliser. 7 mins left.

#36

Not a great finish to the game: penalty given away at 90+3 mins, so it finishes 2 - 2 in Luik. After being in control for most of the game this is pretty stupid.

All to play for next Tuesday though.

#37

Celtic can only draw 1 - 1 at home in their first leg match against AEK Athens, despite playing against 10 men for more than 30 mins. Not looking good.

#38

Yeah, conceded a poor goal shortly before half-time, then failed to take advantage of being a man up for the majority of the second half.

On the optimistic side, AEK didn’t look too threatening, so beating them 1-0 in the away leg doesn’t seem far-fetched. Definitely an uphill task now though.

#39

Return legs of the third round qualifiers tonight.

Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag has promised to send out his strongest team after resting several players at the weekend. Ajax drew 2 - 2 in the first game against Standard Luik, but now have home advantage. A win should see them through, as would 0 - 0 or 1 - 1.

Celtic have a much more difficult task after drawing 1 - 1 at home. AEK Athens are tricky opponents and the Scots have not been helped by unrest in their squad, with defender Dedryck Boyata allegedly going on strike in order to force a transfer. Celtic are also missing Kristoffer Ajer (suspended), Marvin Compper and Lewis Morgan.

Full schedule for tonight:

  • Dynamo Kiev v Slavia Prague (Agg 1-1)
  • BATE Borisov v 0FK Qarabag (Agg 1-0)
  • Spartak Moscow v PAOK Salonika (Agg 2-3)
  • AEK Athens v Celtic (Agg 1-1)
  • Dinamo Zagreb v FC Astana (Agg 2-0)
  • Fenerbahçe v Benfica (Agg 0-1)
  • MOL Vidi v Malmö FF (Agg 1-1)
  • Shkendija v FC Red Bull Salzburg (Agg 0-3)
  • Ajax v Standard Liege (Agg 2-2)
  • Spartak Trnava v Red Star Belgrade (Agg 1-1)

The Celtic game is live on BT Sports 2 from 6:30 PM (kick-off is 7 PM).

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#40

Starting to think Celtic’s defence isn’t that great

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