After victories in the first leg of the playoff round of the soccer Champions League, Benfica Lisbon and Maccabi Haif have a good chance of making it into the group stage.
Lisbon, trained by former Bundesliga coach Roger Schmidt, won 2-0 (2-0) in the away game against Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday (17.08.2022). Gilberto (9th minute) and Goncalo Ramos (37th) put the Portuguese champions on course in Lodz, Poland, before the break. Dynamo didn’t manage to build up decisive pressure in the second round either. Benfica, where Julian Weigl was only on the bench, has a good chance of reaching the group stage.
Maccabi Haifa also celebrated a win. Frantzdy Pierrot (18th, 51st) and Tjaronn Chery (61st) scored the goals in the 3-2 (2-2) win against Red Star Belgrade. Alexander Pesic (27th) and Guelor Kanga (39th) had meanwhile turned the game for the guests.
In another game, FK Qarabag from Azerbaijan and Czech champions Viktor Pilsen drew 0-0. The second legs of the playoff round will take place on August 23rd and 24th. The winners will qualify for the group stage, which will be drawn on August 25th.