On Tuesday, 25 August 2026, the second legs of the Champions League qualifying play-off round were played, and the matchday was marked by several unexpected outcomes. At the end of the two-legged ties, the teams that had been considered clear underdogs a week earlier advanced to the main stage of the tournament. The central event was the triumph of Austrian side LASK, along with convincing wins by Azerbaijan's Sabah and Norway's Bodø/Glimt.
LASK's super comeback: from 0-3 to a place in the main stage
The result of the LASK–Celtic tie generated the most buzz. Last week the Austrians had lost 0-3 away to the Scots, and following that defeat their chances in the tie seemed virtually nil. However, in the second leg LASK delivered a true super comeback: after Callum McGregor's goal in the 21st minute, when the visitors needed just one goal on aggregate, the Austrians launched an attack. Moses Ussor (32), Robert Ljubičić (48), two goals from Samuel Adeniran (58, 109) and Florian Flecker (90) gave the hosts a 5-1 win including extra time (first half 1-1, then 3-0 and 1-0 in extra time). On aggregate, it was LASK that advanced to the main stage of the Champions League.
Sabah crushed Hapoel and turned the tie around
The second major shock came from Azerbaijan's Sabah, who faced Israel's Hapoel Be'er Sheva. After losing the first leg 1-2, the home side not only levelled the tie but recorded a crushing 5-2 win, also resorting to extra time (first half 1-1, then 2-1 and 1-0 in extra time). For the winners, the scorers were Christian Nwachukwu (38), Umarali Rahmonaliev (74), Tellur Muttalimov (90+4), Orfe Mbina (101) and Joy-Lens Mikkels (115). For the Israelis, Igor Zlatanović (10) and Guy Mizrahi (61) scored.
Bodø/Glimt confirmed their advantage over Nijmegen
The third notable result of the day was the home win of Norway's Bodø/Glimt over the Netherlands' Nijmegen, 3-0. The team already held an advantage after the first leg (3-1), and in the second match they not only won but also kept their own goal clean. Fredrik Bjørkan and Sondre Auklen scored in the 45+2 and 45+5 minutes, and Deverton Fongville headed in an own goal in the 73rd minute. On aggregate, the Norwegians comfortably advanced.
What's next: Lyon vs Fenerbahçe and the Ukrainian thread
The remaining play-off qualifying matches will take place on Wednesday, 26 August. The central clash of the day is expected to be Lyon vs Fenerbahçe: after a draw in the first leg, both the French and the Turkish sides retain a chance of reaching the main stage. The final list of participants in the main stage of the Champions League will be determined following all of these matches. Particular attention should be paid to the possible appearance of Ukrainian footballer Danylo Ignatenko, who spent the entire first match against Celje on the bench, but his inclusion in the starting line-up for the second leg is quite realistic. It is worth recalling that the sole representative of Ukraine in the Champions League in the 2026/27 season is Shakhtar, which entered the main stage of the tournament directly. The final of the 2026/27 season will be held on 5 June 2027 at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.
