The Champions League field is almost set as the final round of qualifying has gotten underway. The clashes will take part in home and away legs, but Tuesday brought some upsets with no home teams even holding their opposition to a draw. Rangers were booed after their loss to Club Brugge, while Pafos could be on the verge of history. Let’s take a look at how things went down:
Champions League qualifying scores from Tuesday
- Crvena zvezda 1, Pafos FC 2
- Ferencvaros 1, Qarabag 3
- Rangers 1, Club Brugge 3
Rangers are booed off the pitch
In Scotland, Rangers have been far off the pace of their rivals Celtic, with them taking part in the Europa League last season while Celtic shined in Champions League play. Dropping the home leg of this playoff by two goals to Brugge may already end the UCL hopes of the Ibrox club. Manager Russell Martin has already called out the egos and mentality of players in his squad, and that hasn’t raised their performances. Just take a look at the opening goal for Brugge:
By the end of the match, Rangers were being booed by their fans, who expected more from the club. Brugge are trying to make the league phase for the second consecutive season, and they’re on the way there after this victory.
Pafos could make history
Champions League expansion has brought new debutants into the tournament, and another could be on the verge of making it. Cypriot club Pafos FC are on the verge of making the Champions League proper for the first time ever after defeating Crvena zvezda, who are UCL regulars, 2-1.
Pafos went away to face Crvena zvezda and kept things in control. They’ve been improving rapidly as the 2024-25 season was the first time ever that the club played European soccer, making it to the round of 16 in the UEFA Conference League. Being able to use that as a stepping stone for Champions League play is beyond impressive and could bring the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium, which only seats 9,300, into the UCL mix. There’s still much work to do, but after the investment in 2017 resulted in rebuilding the training center and appointing Juan Carlos Carcedo as manager, the fruits of their labors are showing.
Can Robbie Keane’s team bounce back?
Despite going ahead 1-0 before halftime, Robbie Keane’s Ferencvaros side will have much to do in their away trip to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag. A chance for Keane to manage in Champions League play for the first time is on the line, as since taking over Maccabi Tel Aviv, then moving to Hungary, Keane is gaining plenty of managerial experience. He’s had well-organized sides, but making it to UCL and overturning this deficit could put Keane on the radar for bigger managerial roles down the line. With a decorated playing career, he’s taking the hard road when it comes to management, but so far, it has been a successful one.
