Champions League qualifying explained: Fixtures, results, state of play, key dates
Tuesday 9 August 2022
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UEFA Champions League qualifying for the 2022/23 season began on 21 June and concludes on 24 August – how does it work?
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Six teams will qualify for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage via qualifying – who's involved, how does it work and when are the games? Allow UEFA.com to explain.
Champions League qualifying fixtures
Play-offs: 16/17 & 23/24 August
Play-offs
Teams involved (12)
Champions path (8): 2 automatic entrants, 6 third qualifying round winners
League path (4): 4 third qualifying round winners
Draw
The play-off round draw was made on Tuesday 2 August.
Fixtures (16/17 & 23/24 August)
Champions path
Qarabağ (AZE) vs Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) vs Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Copenhagen (DEN) vs Trabzonspor (TUR)
League path
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs Benfica (POR)
Rangers (SCO) vs PSV Eindhoven (NED)
How does it work?
Teams play home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to the group stage draw on Thursday 25 August. If teams are level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties will be played. There are no away goals.
All losing sides move into the UEFA Europa League group stage (draw on 26 August).
Completed qualifying rounds
Preliminary round
Teams involved (4)
4 automatic entrants
Results
21 June
La Fiorita (SMR) 1-2 Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) 1-6 Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)
24 June
Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) 0-1 Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)
How did it work?
The winners of the two semi-finals met in the preliminary round final on Friday 24 June; all games were single-leg fixtures. As winners of the preliminary round final, Víkingur Reykjavík progressed to the first qualifying round.
The other three preliminary round teams transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (Champions path) second qualifying round.
First qualifying round
Teams involved (30)
29 automatic entrants
1 preliminary round winner
Aggregate results
Sutjeska Nikšić 0-3 Ludogorets Razgrad
Víkingur Reykjavík 5-6 Malmö
Žalgiris 2-1 Ballkani, aet
Hibernians 0-3 Shamrock Rovers
Qarabağ 5-2 Lech Poznań
Lincoln Red Imps 2-3 Shkupi
RFS 2-2 HJK, aet (HJK won 5-4 on pens)
Tirana 1-3 Diddeleng
Sheriff 1-0 Zrinjski
CFR Cluj 2-2 Pyunik, aet (Pyunik won 4-3 on pens)
Linfield 2-1 The New Saints, aet
Ferencváros 5-1 Tobol
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 0-2 Maribor
Dinamo Batumi 1-2 Slovan Bratislava, aet
KÍ 3-4 Bodø/Glimt
How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to the second qualifying round (Champions path); if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.
Defeated teams transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (Champions path) second qualifying round.
Second qualifying round
Teams involved (24)
Champions path (20): 5 automatic entrants, 15 first qualifying round winners
League path (4): 4 automatic entrants
Draw
The second qualifying round draw was made on Wednesday 15 June.
Aggregate results
Champions path
Ferencváros (HUN) 5-3 Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 3-2 Shkupi (MKD)
Qarabağ (AZE) 5-4 Zürich (SUI)
HJK (FIN) 1-7 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Linfield (NIR) 1-8 Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Žalgiris (LTU) 3-0 Malmö (SWE)
Ludogorets (BUL) 4-2 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Maribor (SVN) 0-1 Sheriff (MDA)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 5-1 Olympiacos (GRE)
Pyunik (ARM) 4-2 Diddeleng (LUX)
League path
Midtjylland (DEN) 2-2 AEK Larnaca (CYP), aet (Midtjylland won 4-3 on pens)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 2-1 Fenerbahçe (TUR)
How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective path of the third qualifying round; if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.
Defeated teams transferred to the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.
Third qualifying round
Teams involved (20)
Champions path (12): 2 automatic entrants, 10 second qualifying round winners
League path (8): 6 automatic entrants, 2 second qualifying round winners
Draw
The third qualifying round draw was made on Monday 18 July.
Fixtures (2/3 & 9 August)
Champions path
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 4-2agg Apollon Limassol (CYP) – 4-0, 2-0
Qarabağ (AZE) 4-2agg Ferencváros (HUN) – 1-1, 1-3
Ludogorets (BUL) 3-6agg Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) – 1-2, 4-2
Sheriff (MDA) 2-4agg Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) – 1-2, 2-1
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 6-1agg Žalgiris (LTU) – 5-0, 1-1
Crvena zvezda (SRB) 7-0agg Pyunik (ARM) – 5-0, 0-2
League path
Monaco (FRA) 3-4agg PSV Eindhoven (NED) – 1-1, 3-2aet
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 3-1agg Sturm Graz (AUT) – 1-0, 1-2aet
Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 2-3agg Rangers (SCO) – 2-0, 3-0
Benfica (POR) 7-2agg Midtjylland (DEN) – 4-1, 1-3
How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective path of the play-offs; if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.
Defeated teams in the Champions path transferred to the UEFA Europa League play-off round; League path losers will line up in the Europa League group stage.