Today at 21:45 will take place the five Champions League final qualifying round second leg matches, after which we will know five more teams that have advanced to the group stage. Eurofootball.com provides you with a review of Tuesday's matches.
"Roma" - "Porto" First leg result 1-1 In the only match of all today's encounters, neither team gained an advantage after the first round. In the first match between "Roma" and "Porto," the game was even until Felipe Monteiro scored an own goal to put the Italian team ahead. However, a red card received by Thomas Vermaelen in the 41st minute changed the course of the match. In the second half, "Porto" had as many as 17 shots, and the pressure they created earned them a penalty kick, successfully converted by Andre Silva, equalizing the result and shifting the battle to Roma. Before the match, "Roma" has more problems with unavailable players due to injuries and Vermaelen's disqualification, which will give them a headache on how to arrange their defense. Nonetheless, the 4-0 victory against "Udinese" in the Italian league last weekend shows that Italians are in good form at the moment, so Porto will not have an easy time even against a depleted Roma defense.
"Hapoel Beer Sheva" - "Celtic" First leg result 2-5 In the first meeting of these two teams, Celtic finally revealed their attacking potential. Excluding the first 15 minutes in the second half, during which the Scots conceded two goals, their performance in the Glasgow match could be called flawless. To advance to the next stage, the Israeli champions will have to not only stop Celtic's attack but also score at least 3 goals themselves. The displayed game in the first leg between these teams shows that "Hapoel Beer Sheva" would only advance to the next stage by demonstrating a much better and solid performance. Obviously, if a miracle does not happen, Celtic should advance to the Champions League group stage battles.
"Legia" - "Dundalk" First leg result 2-0 Despite the fact that at the beginning of this season "Legia" is not showing its best form and is currently only 12th in the Polish league, in the first leg in Ireland they did enough to feel comfortable before the return match. By not letting the opponents score and scoring two goals themselves, they can hope that the Polish champions will reach the Champions League group stage. The Irish team has not yet achieved a victory in the Champions League away matches this season, and it will be harder for them to do so against ambitious and motivated opponents. It seems that after a 20-year break, "Legia" is finally returning to the battles of the most prestigious European tournament group stage.
"Monaco" - "Villarreal" First leg result 2-1 The match between "Monaco" and "Villarreal" is one of those where the chances of both teams before the first clash were considered equal. The first-leg match confirmed those predictions, but it was "Monaco" players who capitalized better, defeating the resistance of the Spanish club in their away game. Before the second leg, both teams have several injured players, and "Monaco" will also have to play without Benjamin Mendy, who received a red card in the first match. "Villarreal" has started this season unsuccessfully so far, and in the return leg, they will try to achieve the first victory of the season and break into the group stage battles. It will not be easy for the Spaniards, and the Monaco team playing at home is determined to return to the main battles of the Champions League after a year break.
"Plzen" - "Ludogorets" First leg result 0-2 The Czech champions do not look to be in good enough form at the beginning of the season to reach the Champions League group stage. In the third qualifying round, the Czechs were on the verge of being eliminated from the Champions League, and it was only five minutes before the end of the second leg that they scored their only goal, which helped them eliminate the "Qarabag" team due to the away goal rule. In the first leg with "Ludogorets," they suffered a painful defeat 0-2. The poor form of "Plzen" is also evidenced by the fact that they have achieved only one victory in the Czech league in the last three rounds. "Ludogorets" looked much more secure at home in the first leg match, and now they just have to finish the job in the opponents' fortress. If the Bulgarians manage to score, the opponents would need to score as many as four goals, and with their current form, it is doubtful whether "Plzen" is capable of doing so. In this season's Champions League, "Ludogorets" has not left a match without scoring two goals, so maintaining this stability, they should have no major problems advancing to the group stage battles.
