The Champions League play-offs reach a conclusion this week ahead of Thursday’s league phase draw.
Qualifying for the Champions League proper can be an arduous task. The process began with the first qualifying round in June, with just one team – Slovan Bratislava – running the gauntlet to make it all the way to the play-offs.
Those competing over the next two days joined the qualifying process at different stages, with a couple of heavy-hitters aiming to book their respective places in the all-new league phase.
Here’s how 90min thinks the second leg of the upcoming Champions League play-off ties will pan out.
Tuesday 27 August
Pep Lijnders looks set to guide RB Salzburg into the league phase / BSR Agency/GettyImages
There are three games on Tuesday night, and Galatasaray have work to do if they’re to progress. The Turkish giants were dealt a tough draw against Swiss club Young Boys, and they fell to an entertaining 3-2 defeat in last Wednesday’s first leg.
Filip Ugrinic’s late penalty means the hosts take a slender advantage into the return leg after Michy Batshuayi had scored a second-half brace for the visitors. Galatasaray will fancy their chances on home soil, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this tie went the distance.
We’re projecting less drama elsewhere with both Sparta Prague and RB Salzburg winning away last week to take leads into their home second legs. Sparta were mightily efficient in transition and beat Malmo 2-0, while Salzburg were simply far too good for Dynamo Kyiv.
Expect those two sides to qualify for the league phase at a canter.
| Kick-off Time (GMT) | Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Galatasaray vs Young Boys | 2-1 (4-4 agg – Galatasaray to win on penalties) |
| 20:00 | Sparta Prague vs Malmo | 2-0 (4-0 agg) |
| 20:00 | RB Salzburg vs Dynamo Kyiv | 2-1 (4-1 agg) |
Wednesday 28 August
Lille are aiming to hold off Slavia Prague on Wednesday night / Anadolu/GettyImages
There’s an early kick-off to enjoy on Wednesday, although Qarabag need to pull off a mini-miracle if they’re to qualify at Dinamo Zagreb’s expense. The Croatians were dominant at home last week, and Sandro Kulenovic’s late brace has surely put the tie beyond Qarabag.
Wednesday’s hosts will need an early goal.
Later on, Lille, who knocked out Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the third qualifying round, edged out Slavia Prague in France last Tuesday, but their 2-1 lead is certainly precarious. Bruno Genesio’s side will have to dig deep in Czechia if they’re to advance.
Bodo/Glimt are hunting for their maiden Champions League berth, and they’ve got a 2-1 lead to hang on to going into their return leg against Red Star Belgrade. However, the Serbian outfit’s proficiency at home – they haven’t lost a domestic fixture on their own turf since 2017 – renders their task on Wednesday an almighty one.
Slovan Bratislava have already enjoyed quite the qualifying campaign. They beat Struga, Celje and APOEL to reach the play-offs, and a home win on Wednesday will send them into the league phase. Midtjylland were held 1-1 in the first leg, and this is certainly a tie that could yet go either way.
| Kick-off Time (GMT) | Fixture | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| 17:45 | Qarabag vs Dinamo Zagreb | 1-1 (1-4 agg) |
| 20:00 | Red Star Belgrade vs Bodo/Glimt | 2-0 (3-2 agg) |
| 20:00 | Slovan Bratislava vs Midtjylland | 1-2 (2-3 agg) |
| 20:00 | Slavia Prague vs Lille | 2-1 (2-3 agg) |
