Third round qualifying for the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League continues this week. Rangers and Dynamo Kiev try to get out of big holes, while Benfica and Twente look to hold on to their leads.
UEFA Champions League, Third Round Qualifying: Benfica And Twente Prevail As Rangers Fall
The field for the final playoff round of the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League is set, as 12 more teams advanced today while 10 more were sent out of the competition. The field of hopeful qualifiers now has 10 teams in both the League Route and the Champions Route remaining, with five teams from each route moving on to the group stages of the competition.
Rubin Kazan look like a potentially formidable opponent for one of the seeded teams in the League Route after they defeated Ukranian giants Dynamo Kiev 4-1 on aggregate. The tie looked all but over after they won 2-0 in Kiev last week, but they put the tie completely to bed in the 16th minute of the second leg Wednesday when Vladimir Dyadyun scored to make it 3-0 on aggregate.
Read Article >UEFA Champions League, Third Round Qualifying: OB Score Big Win Over Panathinaikos; Copenhagen, BATE Advance
Three more participants are set for the final playoff round of UEFA Champions League 2011-12 qualifying, as Odense, BATE Borisov and FC Copenhagen all advanced with victories today. BATE turned a 0-0 road draw into a 3-1 aggregate win after winning by that score at home, while both Copehagen and OB scored road victories on Tuesday.
BATE and their opponents FK Ekranas traded goals early, with BATE going up 2-1 in the 35th minute. Shortly afterwards, in the 40th minute, the game was put into doubt when Renan Bressan, the scorer of one of the goals, was sent off after picking up two yellow cards. BATE would hold onto their lead, though, with substitute Mikhail Gordeychuk sealing the deal with an 89th minute goal.
Read Article >UEFA Champions League, Third Round Qualifying: Dynamo Kiev, Rangers Attempt Dramatic Second Leg Comebacks
Most of the first legs of the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League third round ties went exactly as expected, with a couple of very notable exceptions. Two of the best known teams participating in this stage of the competition, Dynamo Kiev and Rangers, are both in massive holes after losing at home in the first legs of their ties. Dynamo Kiev have a trip to Russia to deal with, where they will face Rubin Kazan, while Rangers travel to Sweden to face Malmo.
Both FC Twente and Benfica look to be in good shape after both teams won 2-0 over their respective opponents, Vaslui and Trabzonspor. A couple of the other League Route ties involving top teams, Odense-Olympiakos and Standard Liege-Zurich, are both tied up at 1-1 and the second legs of both ties should be fantastic.
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