Five of the 10 ties to decide who will qualify for the group stages of the Uefa Champions League take place on Tuesday night. Here is a look at how each match-up is poised after last week’s first legs.
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Roma v Porto (1-1)
Roma made a statement of intent that they are up to the challenge of getting past 2004 tournament winners Porto, after they drew the first leg 1-1 in Portugal last week. Roma began their Serie A campaign in impressive fashion on Saturday as Diego Perotti scored twice from the penalty spot in their 4-0 thrashing of Udinese.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva v Celtic (2-5)
Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are in a strong position to reach the group stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2013 as they take a 5-2 advantage to the away leg. Leigh Griffiths scored twice in the home leg for the Glasgow side, who have a 100 per cent record domestically so far under Brendan Rodgers.
Monaco v Villarreal (2-1)
Bernando Silva’s strike 18 minutes from time put Monaco in the ascendancy in their tie with Villarreal last week. The goal gave them a 2-1 lead to take into the second leg at the Stade Louis II Stadium, with the two away goals meaning that their Primera Liga opponents must score twice to have any chance of going through.
Legia Warsaw v Dundalk (2-0)
Ireland’s wait to have a team reach the group stages of the Champions League for the first time seems certain to stretch on for another year. The League of Ireland Premier Division champions were beaten 2-0 in the home leg last week by Legia Warsaw, who now have home advantage for the second leg at the Polish Army Stadium.
Viktoria Plzen v Ludogorets Razgrad (0-2)
Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad have only made the group stages once before in their history, in 2014/15, but they are in a great position to repeat that feat, taking a 2-0 lead to Plzen’s Doosan Arena after goals from Cosmin Moti and Virgil Misidjan put them in charge in the first leg last Wednesday.
