24 July 2008

Champions League, first verdicts

The 2008/09 Champions League has begun in earnest. Indeed between yesterday and Tuesday the return leg games of the first qualifying round were played, and the first verdicts are in, with 16 teams exiting the competition at this stage.

On the night Juventus won at the Brondby Stadium and Borussia Dortmund (the Bianconeri's next opponents in Saturday's friendly) won the German Super Cup, beating Bayern Munich, the following teams qualified for the main European competition's next round: FBK Kaunas (Lithuania), Ventspils (Latvia), Inter Baki (Azerbaijan), Anorthosis Famagosta (Cyprus), Domžale (Slovenia), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia), IFK Göteborg (Sweden), Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova), Drogheda United (Republic of Ireland), Bate Borisov (Belarus), Beitar Jerusalem (Israel), Madrica (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Tampere United (Finland) and Artmedia Bratislava (Slovakia).

The second round will kick off already next week. Some of the big names in European football will already be playing, teams such as Glasgow Rangers, Partizan Belgrade, Dynamo Kiev, Sparta Praha, Basel, and Fenerbahçe.

This is the schedule of the 14 games. The first leg will be played on July 29/30, the second leg on August 5/6. Between the two legs, on August 1st, the moment Juventus have been eagerly awaiting: the draw in Nyon, in which the Bianconeri will learn the name of the team they will face (or the two teams from which one will qualify to face them).

Second round – First leg July 29/30, second leg August 5/6

Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)-FBK Kaunas (Lithuania)
Brann (Norway)-Ventspils (Latvia)
Inter Baki (Azerbaijan)-Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Anorthosis Famagosta (Cyprus)-Rapid Vienna (Austria)
Domžale (Slovenia)-Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
Panathinaikos (Greece)-Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)
IFK Göteborg (Sweden)-Basel (Switzerland)
Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)-Sparta Praha (Czech Republic)
Drogheda United (Republic of Ireland)-Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Anderlecht (Belgium)-Bate Borisov (Belarus)
Beitar Jerusalem (Israel)-Wisla Krakow (Poland)
Fenerbahçe (Turkey)-MTK Hungária (Hungary)
Aalborg (Denmark)-Madrica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Tampere United (Finland)-Artmedia Bratislava (Slovakia)