The rest of the Champions League playoff round first leg matches completed today with Arsenal hammering Fenerbahce in Turkey. Austria Vienna and FC Basel both got big away wins as well.
UEFA Champions League 2013: Austria Vienna, Basel cruise while Schalke struggle against PAOK
German side Schalke 04 will have some work to do if they want to advance to the group stages after being held 1-1 in their first leg match against PAOK. Austria Vienna and FC Basel both got big away wins.
Lars Baron
Here’s a recap of the day’s action including one of the stranger occurrences you’ll ever read about in the Zagreb vs. Vienna match.
The second leg matches for all these ties will be played Tuesday, August 27th.
Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Austria Vienna
Zagreb face an uphill challenge to make the group stages after falling 2-0 at home against Austria Vienna. Marin Leovac out Vienna in front in the 68th minute and then things got weird.
Zagreb’s attempts to at least salvage a draw from the game were thwarted just three minutes after the goal when forward Ante Rukavina was shown straight red card. In what very well may be a first, Rukavina was subbed into the match for clattering into Vienna defender Kaja Rogulj with a high boot.
With the mana advantage, Vienna added a second goal in the 75th minute thanks to Marko Stankovic.
Ludogorets Razgrad 2-4 FC Basel
Basel overcame a second half one-goal deficit to take control of their playoff tie against Ludogorets Razgrad with a 3-2 away win. Like a good boxing match, the two teams traded blows throughout with Basel taking the lead in the 12th minute thanks to Mohamed Salah. Ludogorets answered in the 23rd minute behind a Marcelinho goal and took the lead five minutes into the second half when Ivan Stoyanov scored.
Nine minutes later Basel fought back as Saleh netted his second goal of the match to even the score at 2-2. Giovanni Sio scored the winner in the 64th minute and Fabian Schar extended the lead to 4-2 in the 84th minute on a penalty kick.
Basel will return home for the second leg with a one-goal lead and three away goals in their pocket.
Schalke 04 1-1 PAOK Salonika
Jefferson Farfan scored in the 32nd minute but PAOK answered back in the 73rd minute as Miroslav Stoch gave his side an away goal and a great chance of qualifying for the group stages with the second leg in Greece.
Steaua Bucuresti 1-1 Legia Warsaw
Legia Warsaw scored in the second half to escape Romania with a 1-1 draw and a crucial away goal in their tie against Steaua Bucuresti. No doubt Gigi Becali, sitting in his prison cell, will not be pleased. Federico Piovaccari put Steaua in front in the 34th minute but they couldn’t hold the lead, conceding early in the second half when Jakub Kosecki scored.
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