Race for league phase heads into final stage as play-off line-ups confirmed

The third qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League came to an end with dramatic last-minute winners and second-leg comebacks. With the line-up for the play-off round now set and clubs on the verge of a spot in the league phase, we look at some of the standout stories from across the three competitions.

UEFA Champions League: Late goals decide ties

Azerbaijan’s Sabah, who were only founded in September 2017, are now just one step away from qualifying for the UEFA Champions League league phase for the first time after turning around a 2-1 first-leg deficit with four unanswered second-half goals against Denmark’s Aarhus.

Bodø/Glimt, meanwhile, left it late as Andreas Helmersen scored a 117th-minute extra time winner to edge the Norwegians into the play-offs ahead of Union SG of Belgium in a 6-5 thriller over two legs. Coming off their incredible run to the last 16 in 2025/26, they will face N.E.C. of the Netherlands, who stunned Olympiacos 2-1 to put them just one tie away from a first Champions League campaign.

Bodø/Glimt are aiming to replicate their run in the Champions League that saw them reach the last 16BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Slovenia’s Celje were heading out of the competition with less than 10 minutes to go before a two-minute double salvo, including a winner from hometown hero Benjamin Verbič, saw them overturn a 2-1 first leg loss to win 3-2. Verbič returned to his childhood team this summer after 11 years away.

Mjällby’s first Champions League qualifying campaign came to an end as the Gambian duo Suleiman Camara and Alasana Yirajang scored the crucial goals for Yaya Toure’s Slovan Bratislava to secure a 4-1 win on aggregate, while Lyon roared back from a 2-1 first leg loss to Sparta Praha by winning 3-0 at home.

UEFA Europa League: Iberia Tbilisi representing Georgia in Europe

Iberia Tbilisi kicked things off on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland’s Larne, and in doing so became only the second Georgian side ever to secure their place in the group stage or league phase of a UEFA competition. They play Poland’s Jagiellonia in the Europa League play-offs but are guaranteed a spot in the Conference League if they don’t progress.

Nika Sikharulashvili scored the winner for Iberia Tbilisi in their 2-1 victory over LarneGuram Gabritchidze (GFF)

Egnatia are also guaranteed a league phase spot – the first Albanian team to achieve this since 2017/18 – after turning around a 3-1 first-leg defeat by beating Shamrock Rovers 5-1 at home, despite going down to 10 men.

Meanwhile, Haris Tabaković scored a 16-minute hat-trick for Salzburg to put them through 4-3 on aggregate against last season’s Champions League debutant Pafos.

UEFA Conference League: Inter Escaldes close in on history for Andorra

Inter Escaldes could become the first Andorran side ever in a UEFA competition group stage or league phaseInter Escaldes

Inter Escaldes pulled off a stunning 4-0 away win in Estonia over Flora Tallinn and could now become the first Andorran club to reach the group stage or league phase of a UEFA competition. They will need to overcome Kosovo’s Drita, who were one of three sides along with Twente and Hajduk Split to score nine goals across the two legs of the Conference League’s third qualifying round.

Elsewhere, Copenhagen joined Danish rivals Midtjylland and Nordsjælland in the play-offs after brushing aside Debrecen 8-1 over the two legs, while Cyriel Dessers, the UEFA Conference League 2021/22 top scorer, scored an extra-time winner for Panathinaikos as the Greek side secured a 3-2 aggregate win over Bulgaria’s CSKA 1948.