UEFA Champions League Qualifying Rounds 2017/18

[ScottishCanuck]

Griffiths booked for pointing out that coins and a glass bottle had been thrown at him.

Pathetic refereeing

 

[YNWA14]

I don't think Ajax cares much about the season, to be honest. I know I don't. Most players are heartbroken. Appie was the teddy bear of the club.

Nice should win this rather easily.

Yep...he was probably their most beloved player without even being a first team regular. He was charismatic and ultra talented. It still seems almost surreal.

 

[bluesfan94]

I don't think Ajax cares much about the season, to be honest. I know I don't. Most players are heartbroken. Appie was the teddy bear of the club.

Nice should win this rather easily.

I absolutely agree but I really hope they manage to rally together for him. I know thats cliché but man, it's all you can hope for at this point.

 

[gnr25]

BATE up 3-1 at Alashkert. So it looks like the Belorussians will advance to the third round.
Qarabag is also leading 6-0 on aggregate, so they will advance.
Vardar leads 2-1 against Malmo with 6 minutes left. Malmo need to score in order to get past Vardar.
Astana drew today against Spartaks Jurmala and that was good enough since since won the first leg last week. Astana will likely play Legia Warsaw next week.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Malmo out of Europe completely after losing 3:1 to Vardar in Skopje, first time a Macedonian side have made it to the third round since 2007

 

[Savi]

Really surprised Malmo are out. Was already hoping for another Malmo/Salzburg matchup

 

[HajdukSplit]

Rosenborg-Dundalk heading for ET, winner of the tie faces Celtic. Copenhagen and Ludogorets making things difficult for themselves

 

[HajdukSplit]

FC Copenhagen held on, despite winning 3:1 in Slovakia they lost 2:1 at home

Ludogorets have scored three times in the second half to take a comfortable lead over Zalgiris who put a slight scare into the Bulgarians

 

[Eye of Ra]

Really surprised Malmo are out. Was already hoping for another Malmo/Salzburg matchup

It would have been Malmö - FC Copenhagen, really cool matchup.

 

[HajdukSplit]

So the third round matchups are officially known

Champions Route (July 25/26 & August 1/2)
Slavia Prague (CZE) vs. BATE Borisov (BLR)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Maribor (SVN) vs. FC Hafnarfjordur (ISL)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) vs. Vardar (MKD)
Celtic (SCO) vs. Rosenborg (NOR)
Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR) vs. Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
Viitorul Constanta (ROU) vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) vs. Rijeka (CRO)
Qarabag (AZE) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Partizan Belgrade (SRB) vs. Olympiakos (GRE)

League Route (July 25/26 & August 1/2)
Steaua Bucharest (ROU) vs. Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
Nice (FRA) vs. Ajax (NED)
Dynamo Kiev (UKR) vs. Young Boys (SUI)
AEK Athens (GRE) vs. CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Club Brugge (BEL) vs. Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR)

 

[HajdukSplit]

Two games complete, Qarabag-Sheriff played a scoreless draw in Azerbaijan while Slavia beat BATE 1:0, but they will be disappointed as BATE played 70 minutes with 10 men

 

[spintheblackcircle]

255th rated Vardar over 54th rated Copenhagen 1-0.

 

[HajdukSplit]

255th rated Vardar over 54th rated Copenhagen 1-0.

I saw them play Dinamo Zagreb last season in the CL qualifying and they weren't too bad to watch, had some talent and at times dominated Dinamo. Not sure how much they improved since then but eliminating Malmo and now winning the first leg over FCK means they certainly aren't a pushover.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Qarabag - Sheriff 0:0
Slavia Prague - BATE Borisov 1:0
Vardar - FC Copenhagen 1:0
Partizan Belgrade - Olympiakos 1:3

Olympiakos already through to the next round, all to play for in the other three ties played today. Slavia will be disappointed they couldn't take advance of playing against 10 for so long. Vardar continue their nice run but FCK missed two golden opportunities at the end of the match. The key for Vardar was not conceding an away goal so they will be in very good shape if they manage to score in Denmark.

AEK Athens - CSKA Moscow 0:2
Steaua Bucharest - Viktoria Plzen 2:2

CSKA already pretty much through, Steaua had to come from behind twice to earn a draw with Plzen, have a feeling that tie is still wide open but Plzen obviously the favorites now

 

[Evilo]

Nice leads 1-0 at halftime over Ajax. Seri with a great move to Balotelli for the tap in.
Seri a class above everyone on the pitch and he's clearly far from his best form.

Nice deserves the lead too, they were the better team. They need to keep focused in the second half though.

 

[DatsyukOwns]

Nice leads 1-0 at halftime over Ajax. Seri with a great move to Balotelli for the tap in.
Seri a class above everyone on the pitch and he's clearly far from his best form.

Nice deserves the lead too, they were the better team. They need to keep focused in the second half though.

Barca please.

Do the losers of the qualifiers get a place in the Europa league? Dumb question but I wasn't sure.

 

[Savi]

Nice were better towards the end of the half yes. But before that they spent a long time watching Ajax pass the ball around without doing anything about it.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Do the losers of the qualifiers get a place in the Europa league? Dumb question but I wasn't sure.

The losers of this round enter the EL playoffs

The losers in the CL playoff round enter the EL group stage

 

[Savi]

The Nice goalie isn't very good

 

[Evilo]

Nice were better towards the end of the half yes. But before that they spent a long time watching Ajax pass the ball around without doing anything about it.

And without doing anything with it. Ajax had the ball but couldn't do anything with it. Nice controlled them defensively and then had the better of the ball (and chances) in the later part of the first half.

The Nice goalie isn't very good

What I've been saying for months. No idea why Favre has such a hard-on for him. He can be impressive in reflexes but so weak in the air.
He cost his team a major goal here.

Malang Sarr hasn't been good either.

 

[YNWA14]

Why have Ajax not yet replaced Schone? Oy.

 

[YNWA14]

How did Sanchez miss that header? Damn what a great ball in.

 

[Evilo]

Nice sinking since that goalie mistake and tying goal. They seem completely off.

 

[YNWA14]

How was that not a foul in front of the box against Nice? He shoulder tackled him through the back lol

 

[YNWA14]

So Ajax should have a corner, but fans ran onto the field and now Nice get the ball with their keeper? What?