Some unfamiliar names could reach this season's 32-team group stage of the Champions League.
Some of Europe's powers, including last season's runner-up Arsenal, six-time champion AC Milan and last year's champion Liverpool, face tough opposition in the final qualifying round for the Champions League.
Games are today and tomorrow, with the second legs on Aug. 22-23. The 16 survivors move on to the 32-team group stage.
Milan, docked points by an Italian sports tribunal, were only cleared to face Red Star Belgrade in tomorrow's third round by a reluctant UEFA after Italy's match-rigging scandal.
A lack of legal grounds, which European soccer's ruling body will now address, prevented their Emergency Panel from barring entry to the six-times European champions.
Still smarting from last year's final defeat by Liverpool after leading 3-0, Milan will be led up front by Filippo Inzaghi on the striker's 33rd birthday.
Arsenal, playing without superstar striker Thierry Henry and suspended goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, faces a difficult task against Dinamo Zagreb.
Liverpool is up against Maccabi Haifa. UEFA was to consider yesterday moving the second leg from Israel because of fighting between Israeli's military and Hezbollah and Palestinian militants.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said it was "totally unacceptable" to play in Israel.
Dinamo's second-team striker Goran Ljubojevic said the home crowd will help his team.
"It will be great when Arsenal comes to Zagreb," Ljubojevic said. "We will be fully motivated and a full stadium will help us."
This final qualifying stage is dominated by teams from central and eastern Europe. A few are well-known clubs -- like Steaua Bucharest and Red Star Belgrade. But several are obscure.
One newcomer is Rabotnicki Skopje of Macedonia, which faces French club Lille. Rabotnicki advanced with a 5-2 aggregate win over Hungary's Debrecen.
Six clubs from central and eastern Europe were drawn to face each other, meaning three are guaranteed of reaching the group stage.
Ukrainian champion Shakhtar Donetsk faces Poland's Legia Warsaw, CSKA Moscow plays Ruzomberok of Slovakia and Czech team Slovan Liberec goes against Spartak Moscow.
Normally dominated by teams from western Europe, this year's final 32 promises more diversity.
Two Turkish teams are hoping to get through with Fenerbahce playing Dynamo Kiev and Galatasaray playing Mlada Boleslav.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS