The Champions League starts again in the first week of July for its 72nd season.

See 1st quakifying round games in the qualifying

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UEFA Champions League scores, results and fixtures on BBC Sport, including live football scores

First round /First Leg this week!

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1st Rd 2nd leg results

KuPS (Finland) 2 FK Vardar Skopje (Macedonia) 3 (Aeg 4-3)

FC Iberia (Georgia) 2 Flora FC (Estonia) 2 (Aeg 5-4)

Inter Club d'Escaldes (Andorra) 1 Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) 1 (Aeg 2-4)

ETO FC Gyor (Hungary) 2 Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland) 2 (Aeg 2-3)

Riga FC (Latvia) 3 Ararat Armenia (Armenia) 2 (Aeg 3-4)

Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) 4 Borac Banja Luka (Bosnia & Herzegovina) 0 (Aeg 5-1)

TNS (Wales) 1 Sabah FK (Azerbaijan) 2 (Aeg 1-4)

FK Drita (Albania) 2 Kuano Zalgiris (Lithuania) 3 (Aeg 3-4)

Larne (NI) 2 Tre Fiori (Malta) 1 (Aeg 3-1)

Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) 5 Floriana Tallinn (Estonia) 1 (Aeg 5-3)

Universitatea Craovia (Romania) 1 ML Vitebsk (Belarussia) 0 (Aeg 5-1)

FC Atert Bissen (Luxembourg) 1 KI Klaksevik (Faroe Islands) 2 (Aeg 2-4)

KS Egnatia Rrogozhinë (Albania) 6 CS Petroclub Hînceşti (Moldavia) 1 (Aeg 7-2)

Sutjeska Nikisic (Montenegro) 0 Kairat Almaty (Kazakstan) 2 (Aeg 1-4)

Edited July 16Jul 16 by Steve201

Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round

Ararat Armenia vs Shamrock Rovers

FC Iberia vs Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Mjallby (Sweden) vs Lincoln Red Imps

Sabah FK va KuPS

Aarhus GF (Denmark) vs Lech Poznan (Poland)

Fenerbache (Turkey) vs Gornik Zabrze (Poland)

FC Thun (Switzerland) vs Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Sturm Graz (Austria) vs Hearts (Scotland)

KI Klaksevik vs Kuano Zalgiris

Larne vs Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)

Vikingur Reykjavik Vs H Be'er Sheva (Isreal)

Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) vs Kairat Almaty

Levski Sofia vs Universitatea Craovia

KS Egnatia Rrogozhinë Vs Celje (Slovenia)

Edited July 17Jul 17 by Steve201

I’ve added the new countries that have entered this second round in brackets.

As usual in the champions league there’s a champions route where the winners of the respective leagues play each other and the league route where teams who come outside of the top positions play each other. Assume UEFA add teams in respect of their leagues coefficient. As two Polish sides have entered here whereas the second place Scottish team (Hearts) enter. Celtic the champions enter in round 3.

Some tasty ties as N.Irish champions Larne get a plum tie against Serbian champions and 1991 winners Red Star Belgrade. Hell, I may go and watch the game myself albeit I’m sure the Serbs, who normally challenge to make the league phase, will win easily. Would be nice to see them though.

We also have the champions of the following leagues enter at this stage:

Switzerland

Cyprus

Israel

Croatia

Slovenia

Poland

Denmark

Slovakia

Sweden

The plum tie of the round is def the Swiss vs the Croatian champions as FC Thun play Dinamo Zagreb!

Edited July 17Jul 17 by Steve201

2nd Qualifying Rd 1st Leg

Ararat Armenia 2-0 Shamrock Rovers

FC Iberia 0-2 Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Mjallby (Sweden) 3-0 Lincoln Red Imps

Sabah FK 1-0 KuPS

Aarhus GF (Denmark) 1-4 Lech Poznan (Poland)

Fenerbache (Turkey) 1-0 Gornik Zabrze (Poland)

FC Thun (Switzerland) 1-1 Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Sturm Graz (Austria) 4-0 Hearts (Scotland)

KI Klaksevik 0-0 Kuano Zalgiris

Larne 0-4 Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)

Vikingur Reykjavik 2-1 H Be'er Sheva (Isreal)

Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) 1-0 Kairat Almaty

Levski Sofia 1-0 Universitatea Craovia

KS Egnatia Rrogozhinë 3-3 Celje (Slovenia)

Edited July 24Jul 24 by Steve201

2nd Qualifying Rd 2nd Leg

Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Aratat Armenia (Agg 2-3)

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) 1-1 FC Iberia (Agg 3-1)

Lincoln Red Imps 0-0 Mjalby (Agg 0-3)

KuPS 0-2 Sabah FK (Agg 0-3)

Lech Poznan (Poland) 1-4 Aarhus GF (Agg 5-5 AET, Aarhus win 4-3 on pens)

Gornik Zabrze (Poland) 1-1 Fenerbache (Agg 1-2)

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) 3-2 FC Thun (Agg 4-3)

Hearts (Scotland) 0-2 Sturm Graz (Agg 0-6)

Kuano Zalgiris 1-0 KI Klaksevik (Agg 1-0)

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) 5-0 Larne (Agg 9-0)

H Be'er Sheva (Isreal) 2-0 Vikingur Reykjavik (Agg 3-2)

Kairat Almaty 1-0 Omonia Nicosia (Agg 1-1 AET, Kairat win 6-5 on pens)

Universitatea Craovia 2-2 Levski Sofia (Agg 2-3)

Celje (Slovenia) 2-2 KS Egnatia Rrogozhinë (Agg 5-5 AET, Celje win 4-1 on pens)

3rd Qualifying Rd

The third qualifying round got underway tonight with bigger European leagues entering the league route including Olympiakos, Lyon, Sparta Prague, Union St and the team that have shocked everyone in European competition over the past few years Bodo/Glimt.

While in the champions route the minnow leagues of European football continue to cancel each other out in their unlikely aim to reach the few group stage spots they get after playing 8 gruelling summertime games.

Maybe that 5th spot shouldn’t go to the top 5 leagues and give one of these leagues a windfall. Albeit the result will be the same team being in from that league every season as they dominate it financially.

Edited August 5Aug 5 by Steve201

3rd Qualifying Rd 1st leg 4/8/26

Ararat Armenia 2-1 Celje

Mjallby 1-2 Slovan Bratislava

Hapoel Beer Sheva 1-0 Red Star Belgrade

Levski Sofia 1-0 Kairat Almaty

Dinamo Zagreb 5-0 Kuano Zalgiris

Olympiakos (Greece) 0-0 NEC Breda (Netherlands)

Sparta Prague (Czechia) 2-1 Lyon (France)

R Union SG (Belgium) 3-3 Bodo/Glimt (Norway)

5/8/26

Aarhus GF 2-1 Sabah FK

Fenerbache 2-0 Sturm Graz

Edited August 5Aug 5 by Steve201

3rd Qualifying Rd 2nd leg 11/8/26

Celeji 2-0 Ararat Armenia (Agg 3-2)

Slovan Bratislava 2-0 Majallby (Agg 4-1)

Red Star Belgrade 0-2 Hapoel Beer Sheva (Agg 0-3)

Kairat Almaty 0-1 Levski Sofia (Agg 0-2)

Kuano Zalgiris 1-3 Dinamo Zagreb (Agg 1-7)

NEC Breda (Netherlands) 2-1 Olympiakos (Greece) (Agg 2-1)

Lyon (France) 3-0 Sparta Prague (Czechia) (Agg 4-2)

Bodo/Glimt (Norway) 3-2 R Union SG (Belgium) (Agg 6-5)

Sabah FK 4-0 Aarhus GK (Agg 5-2)

Sturm Graz 0-1 Fenerbahce (Agg 0-3)

Champions League Playoff Rd 1st Leg

17/19th Aug 26

Teams entering at this stage have their country in brackets.

League route

Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking Stavanger (Norway)

Fenerbache vs Lyon

Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens (Greece)

Champions route

Celtic (Scotland) vs LASK (Austria)

Hapoel Be’er Sheva vs Sabah FK

NEC Breda vs Bodo/Glimt

Slovan Bratislava vs Celje

Edited August 18Aug 18 by Steve201

Fourteen teams are involved in the play-off round: ten from the Champions Path (four enter in this round, along with the six winners of the third qualifying round) and four from the League Path (the four winners from the third qualifying round).

The winners of each tie advance to the league phase of the Champions League while defeated sides switch to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League.

We will get at least one champions league group stage new comer this season as the Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK and Israeli champions Beer meet in this playoff. I know what most European nations will be hoping the winner to be! 👀

Azerbaijan titleholders Sabah were only founded nine years ago, but the club from Masazir just outside Baku scored four unanswered second-half goals against Aarhus to reach the play-offs.

Hapoel Beer-Sheva also made impressive progress, dispatching former European champions Crvena Zvezda 3-0 on aggregate. Serbian forward Igor Zlatanović, formerly of Partizan, was among the scorers and will be a key man again against Sabah. The first leg takes place in Bucharest, Romania.

The only 2 teams who are still competing at this stage who started their campaign in the 1st qualifying round on 12th July are the aforementioned Azerbaijani champs Sabah FK and Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia - fair play to them, both only 2 games away from a meeting with the big leagues of Spain/Germany/England/Italy after 8 gruelling summer games.

Edited August 17Aug 17 by Steve201

Champions League Playoff Rd 1st Leg

17/19th Aug 26

Teams entering at this stage have their country in brackets.

League route

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Viking Stavanger (Norway)

Fenerbache 1-1 Lyon

Levski Sofia 0-0 AEK Athens (Greece)

Champions route

Celtic (Scotland) 3-0 LASK (Austria)

Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2-1 Sabah FK

NEC Breda 1-3 Bodo/Glimt

Slovan Bratislava 1-1 Celje

Celtic throw away a four goal lead and LASK go through 5-4 on aggregate after extra time.

Least the Israeli champions went out.

Here’s the full 2nd leg playoff results for tonight:

LASK 5 Celtic 1 (Agg 5-4 AET)

Sabah FK 5 Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2 (6-4 AET)

Bodo Glimt 3 NEC 0 (Agg 6-1)

Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK overcome 8 games between the beginning of July and now to enter the league phase for the first time. The only team to survive from the first qualifying round. Fair play!

Sabah saved football.

And the final qualifier results from tonight’s playoff 2nd legs:

AEK Athens 4 Levski Sofia 0 (Agg 4-0)

Celje 1 Slovan Bratislava 2 (Agg 2-3 AET)

Lyon 1 Fenerbache 2 (Agg 2-3)

Viking Stavanger 3 Dinamo Zagreb 1 (Agg 5-3)

So Bulgarian champions, Levski Sofia, can’t follow Sabah FK into the group stages as the Azerbaijani champions are the only team to go through all the qualifying rounds into the league phase. They unluckily fall at the final hurdle in the second leg playoff when AEK Athens stuff them 4-0 after a draw in Sofia.

The league phase draw is tomorrow at 5pm and I’m sure the rest of BJ will join us to comment as the big boys join the party.

Which team is in each pot?

Pot 1

• Paris St-Germain (France)

• Bayern Munich (Germany)

• Real Madrid (Spain)

• Liverpool (England)

• Inter Milan (Italy)

• Manchester City (England)

• Arsenal (England)

• Barcelona (Spain)

• Atletico Madrid (Spain)

Pot 2

• Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

• Roma (Italy)

• Sporting (Portugal)

• Aston Villa (England)

• Porto (Portugal)

• Manchester United (England)

• Club Brugge (Belgium)

• Real Betis (Spain)

• PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

Pot 3

• Feyenoord (Netherlands)

• Lille (France)

• Bodo/Glimt (Norway)

• Napoli (Italy)

• RB Leipzig (Germany)

• Villarreal (Spain)

• Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

• Galatasaray (Turkey)

• Fenerbahce (Turkey)

Pot 4

• Viking (Norway)

• Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

• Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

• VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

• LASK (Austria)

• AEK Athens (Greece)

• Como (Italy)

• Lens (France)

• Sabah (Azerbaijan)