--- title: "Ukrainian legionaries in the spotlight: results of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League" description: "🔥 Results of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026/27 UCL: Ukrainian legionaries in the spotlight! 🇺🇦 ✅ Slovan advanced to the play-offs, Kucharevych played 59 minutes. ⚽ Verbich became the hero of the evening in Slovenia. ❌ Olympiacos lost to Nijmegen, Yaremchuk did not participate. 🏆 Shakhtar received a direct route to the main stage. 📅 Decisive play-off matches: August 18/19 and 25/26." date: 2026-08-12T06:22:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-legionaries-in-focus-uefa-champions-league-qualifying-results-2026-en tags: [football, champions-league, ukraine, verbich, kukharevych] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukrainian legionaries in the spotlight: results of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League ![Ukrainian league player in blue kit with Cinkarna Grawe logo dribbling the ball during Champions League 2026/27 qualifying match](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/12/ukrainian-legionaries-in-focus-uefa-champions-league-qualifying-results-2026/ukrainian-legionaries-in-focus-uefa-champions-league-qualifying-results-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Ukrainian legionaries played a key role in the successes of Slovan and Celje. - Olympiacos lost to Nijmegen, Yaremchuk did not participate in the tournament. - Shakhtar received a direct route to the main stage of the Champions League. - Decisive play-off matches are scheduled for August 18/19 and 25/26. On the evening of August 11, 2026, the football world witnessed the decisive matches of the third qualifying round of the 2026/27 Champions League season. The return legs, played across Europe, determined the participants of the next stage of the tournament and demonstrated the contribution of Ukrainian players to the success of their teams. According to the official UEFA website, the key events of the evening unfolded in Slovakia and Slovenia, where local clubs secured convincing victories. ### Slovan and Ukrainian Kucharevych: a confident step towards the play-offs Slovakian Slovan demonstrated character and skill, defeating Swedish Mjällby 2-0 on their home turf for the second time. This victory concluded a series of confrontations where the hosts had also won the first leg 2-1. Ukrainian striker Nikolay Kucharevych played a notable role for Slovan, starting the match and playing 59 minutes. His activity and contribution to the game were important factors in the team's success. Another Ukrainian, Daniil Ignatenko, spent the entire match on the bench, but his presence in the squad strengthened the hosts' depth. ### Verbich — the hero of the evening in Slovenia The true highlight of the evening was the match in Slovenia, where local Celje hosted Ararat-Armenia. After losing 1-2 in the first leg, the Slovenians needed a win to keep their chances of advancing to the next round alive. On the 85th minute, former Kyiv Dynamo winger Benjamin Verbich decided the fate of the confrontation. His goal sealed a 2-0 victory and sent the Slovenians to the next stage of the tournament. This result was not only a triumph for Celje but also a vivid example of how the experience and skill of Ukrainian legionaries can determine the outcome of important matches. ### Major surprises: Olympiacos loses, Lyon redeems itself There were also major surprises. Greek Olympiacos, which did not include our Roman Yaremchuk in its Champions League squad, lost to Dutch Nijmegen in extra time and exited the tournament. This defeat was a shock for fans and experts who expected a more productive performance from the Greek club. Meanwhile, French Lyon, where the forward might end up in the future, staged a convincing revenge against Prague's Sparta. Lyon's victory was an important step towards reaching the main round of the Champions League. ### Play-off pairs: who will play for a spot in the main stage? Following the third qualifying round, the play-off pairs were formed, with the decisive matches scheduled for August 18/19 and 25/26. These encounters will be the final barrier before entering the main stage of the Champions League. Donetsk Shakhtar, as the Ukrainian champion, received a direct route to the main stage of the tournament thanks to a high club coefficient, which was a significant achievement for Ukrainian football. It was previously reported that goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin agreed to a high-profile transfer and is leaving Benfica, which was also a significant event for the Ukrainian football scene. ### Contradictory data Some sources mention that Roman Yaremchuk could have been included in Olympiacos's squad, however, official UEFA data confirms that he did not participate in the tournament. This creates inconsistencies in versions regarding his possible participation in the Champions League. There are also disagreements regarding the exact time of Verbich's goal: some sources indicate the 85th minute, others — the 87th. These contradictions require additional verification and clarification. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Champions League. Q2 Results: Kucharevych's goal, 3rd qualifying round pairs](https://sport.ua/news/893989-liga-chempionov-itogi-q2-opredeleny-vse-pary-3-go-raunda-kvalifikatsii) - Официальные данные УЕФА и Sport RBC.UA подтверждают результаты матчей и участие украинских игроков. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Which Ukrainian players played a key role in the 3rd qualifying round of the UCL? **A:** Nikolay Kucharevych (Slovan) and Benjamin Verbich (Celje) became key figures in the success of their teams. ### Q: Why did Olympiacos leave the tournament? **A:** Olympiacos lost to Dutch Nijmegen in extra time and could not advance further. ### Q: When will the decisive play-off matches take place? **A:** The decisive play-off matches are scheduled for August 18/19 and 25/26, 2026.