4 Champions League debutants have formally sealed their spots within the draw and may very well be potential opponents for the six English golf equipment within the competitors.
Cypriot facet Pafos FC and Norway’s Bodo/Glimt will make their first appearances this season after sealing spectacular victories by means of the qualifying play-offs.
Pafos, who had been based simply 11 years in the past, scored an 89th-minute equaliser to attract 1-1 with Purple Star Belgrade final evening, clinching a dramatic 3-2 win on mixture.
Bodo/Glimt made gentle work of their tie, progressing courtesy of a 6-2 mixture thumping of Austrian outfit Sturm Graz, regardless of dropping the second leg 2-1.
Each golf equipment shall be joined within the prestigious event by Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty, who shocked Celtic on penalties, and Belgian giants Union Saint-Gilloise.
Celtic’s Champions League goals had been dashed over two agonising goalless legs, earlier than they blew their probability by lacking three spot-kicks within the decisive shootout, making certain Kairat grew to become solely the second Kazakh facet to qualify after Astana in 2015.
Pafos FC will make their Champions League debut this season after reaching the league part
Norwegian giants Bodo/Glimt additionally progressed by means of the qualifying play-offs
Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty defeated Celtic on penalties in a historic, shock outcome
Whoever is drawn alongside the minnows faces an arduous 3,600-mile journey out to central Asia, a gruelling eight-hour flight skilled by Chelsea earlier than they confronted Astana on their strategy to profitable the Convention League final season.
The Blues performed the arduous away fixture in Almaty, within the south of Kazakhstan, as an alternative owing to renovations to the stadium initially right down to host.
They prevented adapting to the time zone, which is 5 hours forward of the UK, and had been pressured to courageous brutal sub-zero temperatures in a 3-1 victory.
Pafos, in the meantime, started their Champions League marketing campaign within the second qualifying spherical in mid-July earlier than beating Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kyiv.
Taking a 2-1 lead into the second leg, Jaja scored an equaliser one minute from time to seal their development, after Mirko Ivanic had given Purple Star the lead on the evening.
The Cypriot champions have turn into simply the third facet from the nation to achieve the Champions League, following within the footsteps of Apoel and Anorthosis Famagusta.
Former Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG defender David Luiz is on their books, having joined the membership earlier this month after leaving Fortaleza at first of 2025. His arrival was hailed as a ‘landmark’ and ‘probably the most historic second in Cypriot soccer’.
‘David Luiz Moreira Marinho is a real titan of contemporary soccer,’ Pafos stated. ‘For over 15 years, he has competed on the pinnacle of the game, incomes admiration across the globe for his commanding presence, technical brilliance, and unmistakable charisma.
Kairat held Celtic to 2 goalless legs earlier than profitable on spot-kicks within the residence leg
Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz performs for the Cypriot facet
Union Saint-Gilloise are additionally among the many 4 debutants within the draw this week
PSG are the reigning champions are are unsurprisingly among the many favourites once more
‘All through his illustrious profession, he has left an enduring legacy at each membership.’
Elsewhere, Bodo/Glimt, four-time winners of the Eliteserien, grew to become the primary Norwegian outfit to achieve the event correct since Rosenborg in 2007.
The membership, positioned 124 miles north of the Arctic Circle, memorably reached the Europa League semi-finals final season, earlier than being knocked out by winners Tottenham.
The draw for the league part of the Champions League will happen on Thursday at 5pm BST in Monaco, and the pots have all however been confirmed.
As soon as once more, all 36 rivals shall be separated into 4 pots earlier than enjoying eight totally different opponents – 4 matches at residence and 4 away.
The three Premier League sides in Pot 1, Manchester Metropolis, Liverpool and Chelsea, will every need to play two of PSG, Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, a difficult begin to the event.
The primary matchday will happen between 16 and 18 September.
