2023-07-11 07:00:00
11/07/2023 14:42hs.
Little by little, the wait is over. Finished their preliminary round, the Champions League will start its third round this Tuesday, where a total of 30 teams will participateconforming 15 exciting two-legged knockouts (round trip).
Despite the fact that there is still a long way to go before the group stage, the truth is that the football level is quite high, with clubs that have already been seen in recent editionsas Ludogorets, Maccabi Haifa o Sheriff Tiraspolamong others, and that they will try to fight again (in their own way) for the Orejona.
However, there are two major obstacles to these combos: there are only six places for 52 participating teams and also, almost all the clubs have been crowned champions within their respective local competitions during the past season.
On the other hand, There are some rookies in the highest European competition: Hacken (Swedish champion), Struga (North Macedonian champion), Valmiera (Latvian champion), Larne (Northern Irish champion) and Swift Heperange (Luxembourg champion).
The ‘oddball’ of the competition
Borisov bat, the “weirdo” of the Champions League. (@FCBATE)
There is no doubt that the Bate Borisov is the ‘weirdo’ of the current Champions League, coming third in the Belarusian league and getting their qualification because the national federation decided to replace both champion Shakhtyor Soligorsk and runner-up Energetik-BGU Minskj for corruption.
Borisov bat, the “weirdo” of the Champions League. (@FCBATE)
This way, BATE will rub shoulders with the best teams from the Old Continent without lifting any title or trophy. Regarding his rival in the first round, it will be the historic Albanian partisans.
The first round schedule
The schedule for the third round of the Champions League. (UEFA Press)
Urartu (ARM) – Zrinjski (BIH)
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) – Karabakh (AZE)*
Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) – Struga (MKD)
KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) – Ferencváros (HUN)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) – Valmiera (LVA)
Rakow Czestochowa (POL) – Flora Tallinn (EST)*
Hamrun Spartans (MLT) – Maccabi Haifa (ISR)
Ballkani (KOS) – Ludogorets (BUL)
Partizani (ALB) – BATE Borisov (BLR)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) – Breidablik (ISL)
Astana (KAZ) – Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
HJK Helsinki (FIN) – Larne (NIR)
Häcken (SWE) – The New Saints (WAL)
Constanta Lighthouse (ROU) – Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) – Swift Hesper (LUX)
Struga (MKD) – Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
Flora Tallinn (EST) – Rakow Czestochowa (POL)*
Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) – Constanța Lighthouse (ROU)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) – Hamrun Spartans (MLT)
The New Saints (WAL) – Häcken (SWE)
Zrinjski (BIH) – Urartu (ARM)
BATE Borisov (BLR) – Partizani (ALB)
Breidablik (ISL) – Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Valmiera (LVA) – Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
Ferencváros (HUN) – KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
Karabakh (AZE) – Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)*
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) – Astana (KAZ)
Ludogorets (BUL) – Ballkani (KOS)
Swift Hesper (LUX) – Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Larne (NIR) – HJK Helsinki (FIN)
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