Champions League Thread 2018/2019

[Cornwall_Saint]

Just a month after Real Madrid defeated Liverpool in Kyiv to lift the Champions League Trophy, the next edition was already underway. With UEFA aiming to shaft smaller countries and prioritise the "Big 4", we seen a new addition to the Qualifying Stage - Preliminaries.

The Champions of the four lowest ranked countries in the UEFA Co-efficient charts would compete in a one-legged semi final and final. The outcomes were:

Semi Final

La Fiorita (San) 0-2 Lincoln Red Imps (Gib)

FC Santa Coloma (And) 0-2 (AET) Drita (Kos)

Final

Lincoln Rep Imps (Gib) 1-4 (AET) Drita (Kos)

Congratulations to Kosovan side Drita for qualifying for the qualifiers.

 Onto the next step, here is our 1st Round Qualifying Draw (Left side to play at home first)

FC Astana (Kaz) v Sutjeska (Mne)

Ludogorets (Bul) v Crusaders (Nir)

Dudelange (Lux) v Videoton (***)

Kukesi (Alb) v Valletta (Mlt)

Olimpia Ljubljana (Svn) v Qarabag (Aze)

Drita (Kos) v Malmo FF (Swe)

Flora Tallinn (Est) v H. Beer Sheva (Isr)

Spartaks (Lat) v Crvena Zvezda (Srb)

Suduva (Ltu) v APOEL (Cyp)

Vikingur (Fai) v HJK Helsinki (Fin)

Shkendija (Mac) v The New Saints (Wal)

Torpedo Kutaisi (Geo) v S.Tiraspol (Mol)

Cork City (Ire) v Levi's Warsaw (Pol)

Spartak Trnava (Svk) v Zrinjski (Bih)

Alashkert (Arm) v Celtic (Sco)

Valur (Isl) v Rosenborg (Nor)

Drita's reward for qualifying is a tough one against Malmo of Sweden. Celtic face the long trip to Armenian champs Alashkert. My Belgian interests do not see any action at this stage. The long, hellish route to qualifying for these teams begins on the 10/11th July with the return legs a week later.

[faraway saint]

Some team I've never heard of 0-1 Celtic, half time. 

[faraway saint]

45 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

Some team I've never heard of 0-1 Celtic, half time. 

0-2, game over for Celtic, 81 mins. 

[guinness]

Morgan came on and won corner that lead to second goal.

[faraway saint]

10 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

0-2, game over for Celtic, 81 mins. 

0-3, Celtic reserves for the return game. 

[Cornwall_Saint]

Results from Tuesday's Champions League Qualifiers, First Stage, First Leg

Flora Tallinn (Est) 1-4 H.Be'er Sheva (Isr)

Torpedo Kutaisi (Geo) 2-1 S.Tiraspol (Mda)

Alashkert (Arm) 0-3 Celtic (Sco)

Dudelange (Lux) 1-1 Videoton (***)

Vikingur (Fai) 1-2 HJK Helsinki (Fin)

Shkendija (Mkd) 5-0 The New Saints (Wal)

(Besart Ibraimi scored four goals for the Macedonians here)

Cork City (Ire) 0-1 Legia Warsaw (Pol)

Drita (Kos) 0-3 Malmo FF (Swe)

8 more matches take place today.

[Cornwall_Saint]

Incredible scenes in Lithuania as domestic champions Suduva beat Cypriot champs APOEL 3-1. A ten minute hat-trick from Rigino Cicilia (9,13,19) gave the Lithuanians not just a shock lead, but an unbelievable one. Suduva would go on to be outshot 4-19. Clinical at its best, and they take a 2 goal advantage to Cyprus against last year's group stage entrants.

Rigino Cicilia's Hat Trick

[Cornwall_Saint]

Never mind that hat-trick. Take a bow Jakub Swierczok. The man from Poland came on in the 68th minute of Bulgaria's Ludogorets Razgrad's 7-0 demolition of Northern Irish side Crusaders. 12 minutes later he had scored a hat-trick in the space of 7 minutes (73,78,80).

Ludogorets 7-0 Crusaders - Goals 5,6,7 are the hat-trick

[Cornwall_Saint]

Wednesday's Results

First Qualifying Round, First Leg

FC Astana (Kaz) 1-0 Sutjeska (Mne)

Spartaks (Latvia) 0-0 Crvena Zvezda (Srb)

Suduva (Ltu) 3-1 APOEL (Cyp)

Spartak Trnava (Svk) 1-0 Zrinjski (Bih)

Kukesi (Alb) 0-0 Valletta (Mlt)

Ludogorets (Bul) 7-0 Crusaders (Nir)

Olimpija Ljubljana (Slo) 0-1 Qarabag (Aze)

Valur (Isl) 1-0 Rosenborg (Nor)

 

As it stands the Green Bigots look set to progress, and it could well be a trip to Iceland to face Valur.

Second legs take place on the 17th/18th July.

[Cornwall_Saint]

Today's Games

First Qualifying Round, Second Leg

HJK Helsinki (Fin) v Vikingur (Fai) 2-1

Valletta (Mlt) v Kukesi (Alb) 0-0

APOEL (Cyp) v Suduva (Ltu) 1-3

H.Be'er Sheva (Isr) v Flora Tallinn (Est) 4-1

Malmo FF (Swe) v Drita (Kos) 3-0

The New Saints (Wal) v Shkendija (Mkd) 0-5

Videoton (***) v Dudelange (Lux) 1-1

Crvena Zvezda (Srb) v Spartaks (Lat) 0-0

Crusaders (Nir) v Ludogorets (Bul) 0-7

Legia Warsaw (Pol) v Cork City (Ire) 1-0

Two games have started a few minutes ago. Great start for HJK who scored in the opening minute. They've now scored on 10 mins so it looks like the champions of Finland will be progressing to the next round.

[Cornwall_Saint]

Tuesday's Scores

HJK Helsinki (Fin) 3-1 Vikingur (Fai)

HJK win 5-2

Valletta (Mlt) 1-1 Kukesi (Alb)

Agg: 1-1, Kukesi win on away goals

APOEL (Cyp) 1-0 Suduva (Ltu)

Suduva win 3-2

H.Be'er Sheva (Isr) 3-1 Flora Tallinn (Est)

Hapoel win 7-2

Malmo FF (Swe) 2-0 Drita (Kos)

Malmo win 5-0

The New Saints (Wal) 4-0 Shkendija (Mkd)

Shkendija win 5-4

Videoton (***) 2-1 Dudelange (Lux)

Videoton win 2-1

Crvena Zvezda (Srb) 2-0 Spartaks (Lat)

Crvena win 2-0

Crusaders (Nir) 0-2 Ludogorets (Bul)

Ludogorets win 9-0

Legia Warsaw (Pol) 3-0 Cork City (Ire)

Legia win 4-0

 

Roundup: Kukesi score on 84mins to seal their vital away goal and draw. APOEL win, but last year's group stage entrants who made life hard for Dortmund crash out early thanks to the Lithuanians. And it's a devastating 4-0 victory for Welsh champions TNS, and massive relief for Shkendija of Macedonia who very nearly blew a 5 goal advantage the same day fellow Macedonians Rabotnicki and Shkupi crashed out of the Europa.

[Cornwall_Saint]

Wednesday's Scores

Qarabag (Aze) 0-0 Olimpija Ljubljana (Svn)

Qarabag win 1-0

S.Tiraspol (Mdv) 3-0 Torpedo Kutaisi (Geo)

Sheriff win 4-2

Zrinjski (Bih) 1-1 Spartak Trnava (Svk)

Trnava win 2-1

Rosenborg (Nor) 3-1 Valur (Isl)

Rosenborg win 3-2

Sutjeska (Mne) 0-2 FC Astana (Kaz)

Astana win 3-0

Celtic (Sco) 3-0 Alashkert (Arm)

Celtic win 6-0

An early red card didn't stop Celtic from easing into the next stage as the Armenians proved no match. Celtic were on the verge of a trip to Iceland after Valur scored an 84th min penalty, but an injury time penalty was then dispatched by Niklas Bendtner to send the Norwegians through, even after the penalty got delayed due to a very excessive piece of encroachment by a Valur player. I reckon the last penalty was very harsh.  Both sides met in qualifying last season, Celtic coming out on top 1-0 after an away goal by James Forrest.

Here are the highlights of Rosenborg v Valur where you can make your own decision on that late penalty.

 

 

[Cornwall_Saint]

Champions League

Qualifying (Quarter Final Stage)

First Leg Scores

FC Astana (Kaz) 2-1 Midtjylland (Den)

CFR Cluj (Rom) 0-1 Malmo FF (Swe)

PAOK (Gre) 2-1 Basel (Sui)

Dinamo Zagreb (Cro) 5-0 H.Be'er Sheva (Isr)

Shkendija (Mkd) 1-0 Sherif Tiraspol (Mdv)

Crvena Zvezda (Srb) 3-0 Suduva (Ltu)

Legia Warsaw (Pol) 0-2 Spartak Trnava (Svk)

BATE Borisov (Blr) 0-0 HJK Helsinki (Fin)

Kukesi (Alb) 0-0 Qarabag (Aze)

Ludogorets (Bul) 0-0 Videoton (***)

Ajax (Ned) 2-0 Sturm Graz (Aut)

Celtic (Sco) 3-1 Rosenborg (Nor)

Roundup: FC Astana scored on 90+4 to take the lead to Denmark. Trnava scored on 90+3 to take a good lead back home. Dinamo Zagreb and Crvena Zvezda look good for progress, while three 0-0 scorelines leave it all to play for. Celtic take a 2 goal lead to Norway, and the winner will face Greek champions AEK Athens in the next round. Standard Liege (rivals to my Belgian team Charleroi) await the winner of Ajax v Sturm Graz.