Champions League Return for Bodø/Glimt Joined by Debuts for Sabah and LASK After Playoffs Wins
Bodø/Glimt returns for a second season, while Sabah and LASK reach the 36-team main phase after dramatic playoff comebacks, UEFA said.
- On Tuesday, Bodø/Glimt, Sabah, and LASK secured spots in the 36-team Champions League main phase following decisive second-leg playoff victories in their qualifying matches.
- The Champions League's returning 'feel-good story' Bodø/Glimt joins two debutants: Sabah of Azerbaijan, formed just nine years ago, and LASK of Austria, making their tournament debuts.
- LASK completed a dramatic comeback against Celtic with a 5-1 second-leg win, while Sabah's Gabon striker Orphe Mbina and Joy-Lance Mickels scored in extra time against Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
- UEFA will conduct the 36-team main phase draw on Thursday in Monaco, where each club will discover their eight opponents for competition running from September through January.
- Real Betis enters the Champions League draw for the first time in 21 years alongside newcomer Como, while Celtic drops into the second-tier Europa League after their defeat.
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UEFA Champions League 2026-27 Playoffs — Debutant Sabah reaches group stage; LASK overturns four-goal deficit against Celtic
Azerbaijani club Sabah FC will play in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time after a stunning win against Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva 5-2 in their playoff match, while Celtic squandered a four-goal lead against Austria’s LASK in the first set of playoff fixtures on Tuesday, August 25.
The Austrian champion's miracle, in Linz they crushed the heartless Scots after extra time, and in Baku they defeated the Israelis. Four more matches on Wednesday.
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Hindustan TimesChampions League return for Bodø/Glimt joined by debut for Azerbaijan's Sabah after playoffs wins
GENEVA (AP) — The Champions League’s feel-good story Bodø/Glimt will be back for a second season and Sabah of Azerbaijan will debut just nine years after being formed. Bodø/Glimt eased through the second leg of its qualifying playoff Tuesday against NEC Nijmegen and Sabah denied Hapoel Beer-Sheva in extra time after a last-gasp goal in The post Champions League return for Bodø/Glimt joined by debut for Azerbaijan’s Sabah after playoffs wins app…
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — The Champions League's most inspiring story, Bodø/Glimt, will return for a second season, joined by two debutants: Azerbaijan's Sabah, just nine years after its founding, and —remarkably— Austria's LASK. Bodø/Glimt easily dispatched the second leg of its qualifying playoff on Tuesday […]
LASK and Sabah FK secured their places in the 2026/2027 Champions League after dramatic wins in the second leg of the play-offs. |LASK staged a comeback by defeating Celtic 5-1 and winning 5-4 on aggregate. |Sabah FK made history by eliminating Hapoel Be'er Sheva 6-4 on aggregate. Bodo/Glimt also advanced after defeating NEC Nijmegen 6-1 on aggregate.
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