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FBK Kaunas set up Rangers clash in Champions League

Lithuania’s FBK Kaunas will play last season’s UEFA Cup runners-up Rangers in the Champions League second qualifying round after beating Santa Coloma of Andorra on Tuesday.

Kaunas, who named Portuguese Jose Couceiro as coach last week, triumphed 7-2 on aggregate after winning 3-1 at home in the first qualifying round, second-leg tie having romped to a 4-1 victory in last week’s first game.

Baltic rivals Ventspils of Latvia are also through after overhauling a 1-0 first leg deficit to beat Welsh champions Llanelli 4-1 on aggregate.

Forward Vits Rimkus scored twice in a 4-0 home win to seal a trip to Norway’s Brann Bergen next week when the first legs take place in the already-drawn second qualifying round.

Moldovans Sheriff were also big winners at home, overpowering Kazakhstan champions Aktobe 4-0 to secure a 4-1 aggregate victory and a meeting with second qualifying round entrants Sparta Prague.

Azerbaijan’s FC Baku drew 1-1 at Macedonian side Rabotnicki to progress on away goals following last week’s goalless draw and will now play Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade.

Dinamo Tbilisi suffered a 1-0 defeat to Runavik in the Faroe Islands but the Georgians progressed 3-1 overall and travel to Greece’s Panathinaikos next week.

The remaining nine first qualifying round second legs took place yesterday.

Past Champions League winners FC Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool find out next week who they must beat in a qualifying round to reach this year’s group stage.

UEFA will hold an Aug. 1 draw for the third and final qualifying round that will decide which 16 teams join the 16 elite clubs already entered into the lucrative competition.

Five-time champions Liverpool and 2006 finalists Arsenal join the draw knowing that each of the four English clubs in the group stage last season earned at least 16 million euros (US$25 million) in appearance money and a share of television rights deals. Additional prize money is given for winning and drawing matches.

Juventus return to the competition after a two-year absence because of a bribery scandal and are also hoping for a share of the millions at stake.

Losers in the third qualifying round are entered into the UEFA Cup, where last season’s winners Zenit St Petersburg earned less than 5 million euros.

The draw is held before the second qualifying round finishes on Aug. 6.

The third qualifying round is played Aug. 12 and Aug. 27.

The draw for the UEFA Cup second qualifying round also takes place at Nyon, Switzerland, on Aug. 1.
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