Champions’ League Third Qualifying Round Preview
8/23/2005 1:56:00 AM
The second leg fixtures of the Champions’ League Third Qualifying Round take place this week as thirty-two teams fight it out to make it into the Group Stage of the world’s premier club competition. As always there are shocks on the verge of completion by the minnows and there are also the big clubs whose very financial well-being will be determined by whether they qualify for the lucrative Group Stage of the competition.
The matches begin on Tuesday evening with nine fixtures on tap, the most high-profile and evenly-matched of these being Monaco against Real Betis. The Spaniards are in the competition for the first time and take a slim one-goal lead into the second leg after Edu scored in the 90th minute in the first match between the two sides. Monaco, beaten finalists in the 2003/04 Champions’ League final, will be confident of overturning the small deficit they face, but Didier Deschamps’ side will have to do so without Uruguayan forward Javier Chevanton. Reigning European champions Liverpool face CSKA Sofia at Anfield with the security of a 3-1 lead from the first leg. While few doubt Liverpool will have much trouble disposing of the Bulgarian outfit, Tuesday’s match should be a good test for Rafa Benitez’s men as they will be without their influential captain Steven Gerrard, who suffered a calf injury at the weekend.
Panathinaikos, perennial participants in the Group Stage, have a difficult task on their hands when they host Wisla Krakow at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. The Greeks must overturn a 3-1 scoreline from the first leg and avoid the defensive lapses that saw them concede three goals after they took the early lead in Poland. Udinese-Sporting was one of the highlight pairings of the Third Qualifying Round of the competition, but Udinese is hoping for little drama as they take a 1-0 lead back home for the return fixture. Sporting, finalists in the UEFA Cup last season, will need to score in Italy or else they will only have the solace of the UEFA Cup for yet another season.
Rosenborg’s late goal against Steaua Bucharest two weeks ago gives the Norwegians a much more straightforward task in the second leg. Thorstein Helstad’s 85th minute strike broke Romanian hearts after Steaua had controlled large portions of the first match. Now, Rosenborg, champions of Norway 13 consecutive times, seem to have the upper hand.
Anderlecht take a slim lead into the return leg of their match-up with Slavia Prague. The Czechs managed a vital away goal and will know that victory by a score of 1-0 or by a two-goal margin will see them through. Anderlecht limbered up for Tuesday’s crucial match by disposing of Germinal Beerschot at the weekend 3-1.
Two of the biggest Champions’ League surprises in recent years could occur on Tuesday night as FC Thun and Artmedia Bratislava attempt to qualify for the Group Stage for the first time. Thun, the Swiss League runners-up, knocked out Dynamo Kiev in the previous round and now after a 1-0 victory in Sweden against Malmo appear set to stun Europe yet again. A victory or a draw will see the Swiss through and surely that would be this year’s Cinderella story in the competition. Not to be outdone is Artmedia Bratislava, the Slovakian outsiders who were conquerors of Celtic in the Second Qualifying phase. Artmedia earned a 0-0 draw against Partizan Belgrade at home, but now face the difficult task of either defeating Partizan away or achieving a score draw in order to progress. Partizan meanwhile will be confident after creating numerous chances in the first leg, but coming away with nothing after some wayward finishing.
Finally, Lokomotiv Moscow looks to finish the job at home against Rapid Vienna. The first leg in Austria ended 1-1 and Lokomotiv, with the away goal, are favourites to qualify.
Wednesday evening gives us seven more matches and though more than half of these fixtures look decided, there is always the potential for a surprise in this competition, one need only look at last season’s Champions’ League final in order to realize this.
Manchester United should have little trouble in their trip to Hungary. A 3-0 victory at Old Trafford against Debrecen looks to have settled the tie for the Red Devils. Inter Milan also seems to have qualification all wrapped up against Shakhtar Donetsk. A 2-0 win in the Ukraine has all but decided this match-up and if Shakhtar cannot conjure up what would be the unlikeliest of comebacks, it will mean that no Ukrainian clubs will be a part of this year’s Champions’ League.
Everton face a tall task in overturning a 2-1 score in Spain against Villarreal. The Spanish side, like Betis also in the competition for the first time, scored an impressive victory in England and will fancy their chances at home against a depleted Everton side decimated by early-season injuries.
Ajax nearly lost against Brondby a fortnight back, but an own-goal in the 90th minute spared Dutch blushes and gave Danny Blind’s team a 2-2 draw in Denmark. The smart money is on Ajax at home, but it may end up being a trickier affair than the men from Amsterdam might like.
Basle have the chance to return to the Champions’ League for only the second time. The Swiss, under the guidance of Christian Gross, defeated Werder Bremen 2-1 in the first leg and look to keep that advantage intact when they travel to Germany Wednesday night. Basle were two goals up until Miroslav Klose struck for Werder, 17 minutes from time in the first match between the two clubs. Werder are looking to bounce back from last season’s embarrassing knockout stage exit to Lyon, while Basle are hoping to have another good crack in the competition, akin to 2002/03 campaign when the club turned many heads by qualifying for the old 2nd Group Stage.
Rangers have seemingly done the hard part in their quest to qualify for the Group Stage. The reigning Scottish champions beat Anorthosis in Cyprus 2-1 to make the return leg in Glasgow look that much easier, though the Cypriots can not be counted out after disposing of Trabzonspor in the previous round.
Finally, Valerenga are seeking their first-ever Champions’ League spot and will be included in this Thursday’s draw for the Group Stage should they maintain their 1-0 lead from the first leg against Club Brugge. Steffen Iversen’s goal is all that separates the sides for now, though one suspects that the Norwegians will find life more difficult in Belgium.
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