High-profile ties
On Tuesday, last season's UEFA Cup runners-up Rangers FC and former European Champion Clubs' Cup finalists Panathinaikos FC were two of the first clubs to discover their opponents for the next round, which begins on 29/30 July and finishes on 5/6 August. Rangers will play Lithuania's FBK Kaunas who defeated Andorra's FC Santa Coloma 7-2 overall, while Panathinaikos face FC Dinamo Tbilisi following the Georgian side's 3-1 aggregate triumph over Faroese contenders NSÍ Runavík.
Fenerbahçe start
Elsewhere, FC Sheriff overturned a 1-0 deficit to FK Aktobe to advance 4-1 over two legs and will encounter AC Sparta Praha next. Two-time UEFA Cup winners IFK Göteborg will face Swiss champions FC Basel 1893 after defeating San Marino's S.S. Murata 9-0 on aggregate, while group stage regulars FC Dynamo Kyiv take on Irish outfit Drogheda United FC following their 3-1 aggregate success against FC Levadia Tallinn. The make up of two more second qualifying round ties was already also known prior to this week's matches. Fenerbahçe SK, who reached the quarter-finals last season, meet Hungarian champions MTK Budapest, and Beitar Jerusalem FC face Wisła Kraków.
Rome final
The second qualifying round winners advance to the third qualifying round, where they will be joined by another 18 teams, with the draw taking place on 1 August. The 32 clubs involved will then compete in 16 ties over two legs for the right to follow the 16 automatic qualifiers into the group stage which begins on 16 September. The final will be played at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on 27 May 2009.
2008/09 UEFA Champions League
First qualifying round
(Aggregate results and winners for in bold; * denotes victory on away goals) | | Match | Aggregate result | | 1 | Linfield FC (NIR) | 1-3 | NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | | 2 | Valetta FC (MLT) | 0-3 | FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK) | | 3 | FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) | 3-1 | NSÍ Runavík (FRO) | | 4 | FC Santa Coloma (AND) | 2-7 | FBK Kaunus (LTU) | | 5 | S.S. Murata (SMR) | 0-9 | IFK Göteborg (SWE) | | 6 | Llanelli AFC (WAL) | 1-4 | FK Ventspils (LVA) | | 7 | Anorthosis Famugusta (CYP) | 3-0 | FC Pyunik (ARM) | | 8 | FK İnter Bakı (AZE)* | 1-1 | FK Rabotnicki (MKD) | | 9 | Tampere United (FIN) | 3-2 | FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) | | 10 | F91 Dudelange (LUX) | 0-3 | NK Domžale (SVN) | | 11 | KS Dinamo Tirana (ALB) | 1-4 | FK Modriča (BIH) | | 12 | FK Aktobe (KAZ) | 1-4 | FC Sheriff (MDA) | | 13 | Drogheda United FC (IRL) | 3-1 | FC Levadia Tallinn (EST) | | 14 | FC BATE Borisov (BLR) | 3-0 | Valur Reykjavík (ISL) |
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2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Second qualifying round draw
First leg: 29/30 July
Second leg: 5/6 August | | Rangers FC (SCO) | v | FBK Kaunas (LTU) | | SK Brann (NOR) | v | FK Ventspils (LVA) | | FK İnter Bakı (AZE) | v | FK Partizan (SRB) | | Tampere United (FIN) | v | FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK) | | Anorthosis Famugusta (CYP) | v | SK Rapid Wien (AUT) | | NK Domžale (SVN) | v | NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | | Panathinaikos FC (GRE) | v | FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) | | IFK Göteborg (SWE) | v | FC Basel 1893 (SUI) | | FC Sheriff (MDA) | v | AC Sparta Praha (CZE) | | Drogheda United FC (IRL) | v | FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) | | RSC Anderlecht (BEL) | v | FC BATE Borisov (BLR) | | Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) | v | Wisla Kraków (POL) | | Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) | v | MTK Budapest (HUN) | | Aalborg BK (DEN) | v | FK Modriča (BIH) |
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