UEFA Champions League Qualifying Rounds 2018-19

[HajdukSplit]

The World Cup naturally is grabbing all the football headlines but in a few days the qualification for the upcoming season's Champions League begins (in fact it has already started with the newly formed preliminary round). This is also the first year of the new UEFA CL format so lesser opportunities for the champions of the "smaller" leagues to qualify with more clubs from the top leagues getting automatic entry

The preliminary round was already played while most of the football world was focused on the World Cup and some history was made there as Kosovar side Drita beat Santa Coloma (Andorra) and Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) to make it to the next round, the first wins for a side from Kosovo in Euro competition. Their reward is a two-leg tie against Malmo

FIRST ROUND (July 10/11 & July 17/18)
Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Shkendija (MKD) vs. The New Saints (WAL)
Suduva (LTU) vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs. Qarabag (AZE)
F91 Dudelange (LUX) vs. Videoton (HUN)
Drita (KOS) vs. Malmo (SWE)
Vikingur (FAR) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Crusaders (NIR)
Cork City (IRL) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Valur (ISL) vs. Rosenborg (NOR)
Kukesi (ALB) vs. Valletta (MLT)
Floria Tallinn (EST) vs. Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR)
Spartaks Jurmala (LVA) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Alashkert (ARM) vs. Celtic (SCO)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) vs. Zrinjki Mostar (BIH)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Sutjeska Niksic (MNE)

SECOND ROUND (July 24/25 & July 31/August 1)
Champions Path
Astana/Sutjeska vs. FC Midtjylland (DEN)
Ludogorets/Crusaders vs. F91 Dudelange/Videoton
Kukesi/Valletta vs. Olimpija/Qarabag
CFR Cluj (ROU) vs. Drita/Malmo
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Flora/Hapoel Beer Sheva
Spartaks/Red Star vs. Suduva/APOEL
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. Vikingur/HJK
Shkendija/TNS vs. Torpedo Kutaisi/Sheriff
Cork/Legia vs. Spartak Trnava/Zrinjski
Alashkert/Celtic vs. Valur/Rosenborg

League Path
PAOK (GRE) vs. FC Basel (SUI)
Ajax (NED) vs. Sturm Graz (AUT)

In the later stages of the competition here are the clubs who will enter...

THIRD ROUND (champions): Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), AEK Athens (GRE)
THIRD ROUND (league path): Benfica (POR), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Fenerbahce (TUR), Spartak Moscow (RUS), Standard Liege (BEL), Slavia Prague (CZE)

PLAYOFF ROUND (champions): PSV Eindhoven (NED), Young Boys (SUI)

Unlike previous seasons where 10 clubs from the qualifying rounds entered the CL, its been reduced to 6 (4 champions + 2 league path)

Click to read more...

 

[gary69]

Interesting match-up in the 2nd round with Celtic facing Rosenborg. Bendtner scored a couple for Rosenborg tonight as did Dembele for Celtic. i wonder if Celtic would entertain offers for Dembele if they don't make it to the group stages.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[Evilo]

De Jong did much worse in a WC final (didn't actually touch the ball) and didn't get a red. Guy here isn't even arguing.

 

[Corto]

De Jong did much worse in a WC final (didn't actually touch the ball) and didn't get a red. Guy here isn't even arguing.

I will never, ever, ever understand how the refs missed that. Possibly one of the reddest red cards I've ever seen. (De Jong I mean)


Anyway, not to derail the thread...

 

[Ivan13]

I mean what the hell has to be going through your head to do that? He should get the book thrown at him for this.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Dinamo/Beer Sheva should be a good one.

 

[maclean]

Third qualifying round draw today in just under an hour

 

[maclean]

Third qualifying round drawn

Champions path
Celtic (SCO)/Rosenborg (NOR) v AEK Athens (GRE)
Salzburg (AUT) v Shkëndija (MKD)/Sheriff (MDA)
Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Sūduva (LTU) v Legia Warszawa (POL)/Spartak Trnava (SVK)
Kukës (ALB)/Qarabağ (AZE) v BATE Borisov (BLR)/HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Astana (KAZ)/Midtjylland (DEN) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)/Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
CFR Cluj (ROU)/Malmö (SWE) v Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)/Vidi (HUN)

League path
Benfica v Fenerbahce
PAOK/Basel v Spartak Moscow
Slavia Prague v Dynamo Kiev
Standard Liege v Ajax/Sturm


Losers from Champions path still get EL play-off round, losers from League path go straight to EL group stage.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Third qualifying round drawn

Champions path
Celtic (SCO)/Rosenborg (NOR) v AEK Athens (GRE)
Salzburg (AUT) v Shkëndija (MKD)/Sheriff (MDA)
Crvena zvezda (SRB)/Sūduva (LTU) v Legia Warszawa (POL)/Spartak Trnava (SVK)
Kukës (ALB)/Qarabağ (AZE) v BATE Borisov (BLR)/HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Astana (KAZ)/Midtjylland (DEN) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)/Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
CFR Cluj (ROU)/Malmö (SWE) v Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)/Vidi (HUN)

League path
Benfica v Fenerbahce
PAOK/Basel v Spartak Moscow
Slavia Prague v Dynamo Kiev
Standard Liege v Ajax/Sturm


Losers from Champions path still get EL play-off round, losers from League path go straight to EL group stage.

Why do the league path losers go right to the group stage but the champion path has to go to the playoffs? Would think the champions would get in right away over the non champions?

 

[ecemleafs]

Why do the league path losers go right to the group stage but the champion path has to go to the playoffs? Would think the champions would get in right away over the non champions?

Big league $$$

 

[ecemleafs]

Tougher draw than I would have liked for celtic in the 3rd round. Even if we beat rosenborg and the Greek champions we still have another f***ing qualifier to get to the group stage

 

[member 305909]

No hope for HJK to get through. Hasn't been any hope for Finnish teams for years.

 

[maclean]

Basel somewhat surprisingly lost to PAOK last night, though at 2:1 it's not insurmountable. Quite insurmountable however is Beer Sheva's deficit, having lost 5:0 to Dinamo Zagreb. Erstwhile contender Legia Warsaw fell at home 0:2 to Trnava in another interesting result.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Well it was fun for Dinamo

 

[ScottishCanuck]

Celtic really should be further up than 3-1. Atrocious first half but battered Rosenborg in the second and hit the woodwork three times.

Confident we can score in Trondheim but will be a tricky game.

 

[ecemleafs]

Better result against rosenborg at home this time than last year. It was one way traffic in the 2nd half. Not worried about us in the 2nd leg.

 

[ecemleafs]

Edouard > Mbappe

 

[Savi]

If Ajax can hold on to Neres and Ziyech, together with Tadic thats gonna be a joy to watch.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Was surprised at the ease Dinamo beat HBS (who have done well in Europe last few seasons) especially considering they really didn't add much to their squad and sold off 2-3 key players. However they finally have a good manager

 

[Ivan13]

It helps that the goalie has been just horrific.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Three ties completed today, couple of "upsets"

Spartak Trnava held on to beat Legia Warsaw 2:1 on aggregate, Legia ended the match with 9 men. The other upset was Shkendija (Macedonia) holding Sheriff to a scoreless draw and advancing. Though they have done decently in Europe last few seasons (for Macedonian standards) making the EL playoffs twice. Dinamo beat Hapoel Beer Sheva 7:2 on aggregate, despite playing poorly they got a draw in Israel

 

[Eye of Ra]

hopefully malmö ff makes it to cl, need some clubs in cl with real fans.

 

[Savi]

Midtjylland, Basel and Ludogorets all elimited so far. Basel lost 3-0 at home to PAOK

Malmo, Qarabag, Red Star Belgrade, BATE all advance; Ajax all but through as well, leading 2-0 in Austria against Graz.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Third round matches set, to be played on the weeks of August 7/8 & August 14/15

Champions Path
Celtic (SCO) vs. AEK Athens (GRE)
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) vs. Shkendija (MKD)
Red Star Belgrade (SRB) vs. Spartak Trnava (SVK)
Qarabag (AZE) vs. BATE Borisov (BLR)
Astana (KAZ) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Malmo (SWE) vs. MOL Vidi (HUN)

League Path
Standard Liege (BEL) vs. Ajax (NED)
Benfica (POR) vs. Fenerbahce (TUR)
Slavia Prague (CZE) vs. Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
PAOK (GRE) vs. Spartak Moscow (RUS)