2016-17 UEFA Champions League - Part I

[Hesher]

Ferencvaros-Partizani goes to a shootout. Partizani's first shooter was the goalie and he pulled a Panenka. Unbelievable.

 

[Hesher]

Ferencvaros loses the shootout.

Both games between Trencin and Olimpija were absolutely mad. In the first leg in Ljubljana Trencin took a quick 4-0 lead but Olimpija managed to score 3 goals to make it 4-3. In the second leg Trencin took a quick 2-0 lead but Olimpija again managed to score 3 and Trencin needed a big save from their keeper in added time to advance on away goals.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Maybe I overestimated Ferencvaros, considering they have some Hungarian NT players are have a bit of money behind then, but this is still a big upset considering Partizani weren't even champions of Albania last season

Celtic recover from their first leg embarrassment, Dinamo Zagreb and Trencin survive scares while Irish champs Dundalk eliminate FH on away goals

Full slate of games for the next round is already known

Champions Route
Rosenborg (NOR) vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Olympiakos (GRE) vs. Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Celtic (SCO)
Trencin (SVK) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Viktoria Plzen (CZE) vs. Qarabag (AZE)
Astra Giurgiu (ROU) vs. FC Copenhagen (DEN)
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. Dundalk (IRL)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Partizani Tirana (ALB) vs. Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)

League Route
Ajax (NED) vs. PAOK (GRE)
Sparta Prague (CZE) vs. Steaua Bucharest (ROU)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) vs. Young Boys (SUI)
Rostov (RUS) vs. Anderlecht (BEL)
Fenerbahce (TUR) vs. Monaco (FRA)

 

[Savi]

Rostov-Anderlecht has been pretty entertaining in the first half

It's 1-1 so far with both teams having excellent chances to score at least a couple more

 

[vsk92]

PAOK leading against Ajax after Cillessen big mistake.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Ajax always seem to struggle against these EE sides, ok Greek is technically not EE but you know what I mean...(Slavia, Dinamo Zagreb, Spartak, Steaua, Dnipro in the last few years, didn't a Czech side embarrass them too recently? Or was that another Dutch side?)

Salzburg with an important away goal in Albania, they were down to 10 but now Partizani down to 10 too. Steaua also score a crucial away goal in Prague, big season for Romanian clubs who must defend their two CL spots, Croatia and Austria are right on their tail

 

[Ajacied]

Ajax always seem to struggle against these EE sides, ok Greek is technically not EE but you know what I mean...

Salzburg with an important away goal in Albania, they were down to 10 but now Partizani down to 10 too. Steaua also score a crucial away goal in Prague, big season for Romanian clubs who must defend their two CL spots, Croatia and Austria are right on their tail

Ajax is dominating. They should be up 3-0. Cillissen is just playing aub-par. Like he has been for a year now.

 

[Savi]

Tielemans scored to make it 2-1 Anderlecht

but just minutes after that they gave away a stupid PK and it's tied again

edit: 2-2 full time, good result for Anderlecht

 

[Milos Krasic]

Good 2-0 win for Shakhtar.

 

[maclean]

Both Czech teams with disappointing home draws - 0-0 for Plzen and 1-1 for Sparta - which will make their second legs at strong home sides Qarabag and Steaua respectively highly challenging.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Huge away goal for Celtic.

 

[ecemleafs]

Very good result in Asia for celtic today. Our more than likey top 4 CBs were unavailable today with kolo toure not ready yet and sviatchenko and simunovic and boyata injured.

 

[Pouchkine]

Rostov will qualify.

 

[gnr25]

In today's games:

Qarabag 1-0 Viktoria Plzen at halftime (1-0 on aggregate)
Dinamo Zagreb leads 1-0 at Tbilisi (3-0 for Zagreb on agg.)
It looks like they will easily advance. Tbilisi looks very wet out there. There may be hail as well. Zagreb should just be careful and play out the remaining hour safely.

APOEL and Rosenborg tied 0-0 in the first half. Rosenborg is up 2-1 on agg.

 

[gnr25]

Late goals allow Plzen and APOEL to advance to the Champions Playoff round. Dinamo Zagreb won 1-0 and advanced 3-0 on agg.

Goals continue in Crvena Zvezda-Ludogorets series, 2-1 for Ludogorets in the first half (4-3 Ludogorets on agg). Today's game is in Belgrade.

Update:
Plastun for Ludogorets receives 2 yellow cards in 2 minutes just before halftime. Crvena Zvezda must score 1 goal to at least force extra time.

As the players were leaving the field for halftime, a Crvena player got a red card for shoving a Ludogorets player. Both had been handfighting and the ejected player seemed to shove his opponent's head away and that knocked him down.
So much for a man advantage. The second half will be 10 v 10.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Zvezda equalize via penalty kick, will be a wild final 30 (or more) minutes

Dundalk take the lead over BATE and that tie is heading to ET if scores hold

 

[cgf]

Would love for Anderlecht and Ajax to slip up tomorrow

 

[HajdukSplit]

Ludogorets scored a crucial away goal early in ET, Zvezda now have to score twice without conceding. Dundalk 15 minutes away from guaranteed Euro football in the fall, would only be the second Irish side to do so in the "new" format of CL/EL group stages

edit: Fourth goal for Ludogorets, they are through

 

[HajdukSplit]

Dundalk lucky not to have a player sent off, a bit of commotion after a strong tackle by a BATE player (yellow card) and a Dundalk player shoves him down to the ground

Game is being played in pouring rain too which isn't helping BATE

 

[HajdukSplit]

And they've done it! Dundalk add the third goal in the 90th minute, awful giveaway at the back by BATE and Dundalk converts a one on one. Regular CL campaigners BATE already out while Ireland will have a club in at least the EL group stage

 

[gnr25]

I think Kanga, Donald and Ibanez will be suspended for the next UEFA game for Crvena Zvezda. It will be the first leg of the Europa playoff round.

 

[ecemleafs]

Great stuff from dundalk. Guaranteed European football until christmas

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

PAOK takes an early 1-0 lead over Ajax, now 2-1 on aggregate.

 

[gnr25]

Kobenhavn having no trouble, leading Astra 3-0 at halftime. 4-1 agg.
Steaua up 1-0 at halftime vs Sparta Praha, 2-1 agg.

 

[Savi]

Ajax always plays in a 433, now they have to win and they're starting in a 532