Champions League play-off round: Wednesday’s key matches and talking points
By Joel Masibo, August 19, 2026The battle for the remaining places in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase reaches its decisive stage this week, with 14 clubs competing across seven two-legged ties.
The teams that prevail over the two matches will secure a place in Europe’s premier club competition, while those eliminated will drop into the UEFA Europa League league phase.
Play-off schedule
First legs
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Levski Sofia 0-0 AEK Athens
GNK Dinamo 2-2 Viking
Fenerbahçe 1-1 Lyon
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Hapoel Beer-Sheva vs Sabah
Celtic vs LASK
Slovan Bratislava vs Celje
N.E.C. vs Bodø/Glimt
Second legs
Tuesday, August 25
Sabah vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva
LASK vs Celtic
Bodø/Glimt vs N.E.C.
Wednesday, August 26
AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia
Viking vs GNK Dinamo
Celje vs Slovan Bratislava
Lyon vs Fenerbahçe
Unless otherwise indicated, matches begin at 21:00 pm CET.
How the play-off stage works
The play-off field consists of 14 clubs. Ten come through the Champions Path, with four entering at this stage and six arriving after winning their third qualifying-round ties. The other four teams are the League Path winners from the previous round.
Each tie is played over two legs. The aggregate winners progress to the Champions League league phase, while the losing teams receive a place in the Europa League league phase.
Celtic face another major qualifying test
Celtic enter their meeting with LASK looking to end a disappointing recent record in Champions League qualification.
The Scottish side enjoyed a remarkable revival after Martin O’Neill returned to the dugout in January, eventually completing a domestic league and cup double. However, European qualification has proved considerably more difficult for the Glasgow giants.
LASK, meanwhile, are chasing a historic first appearance in the Champions League league phase. Their squad includes Miguel Freckleton, who was part of the St Mirren side that defeated Celtic in last season’s Scottish League Cup final.
Celtic have failed to negotiate Champions League qualifying in their last five attempts. Their most recent success in the play-offs came in the 2017/18 campaign, when they defeated Astana 8-4 on aggregate.
N.E.C. take on impressive Bodø/Glimt
N.E.C. are seeking to produce another surprise when they welcome Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt.
The Dutch club have never reached the Champions League league phase but shocked Olympiacos in the previous round. Experienced names including Dušan Tadić and Emre Mor give N.E.C. plenty of attacking experience as they attempt another upset.
Bodø/Glimt have developed into one of European football’s most notable underdog stories and reached the knockout stage of continental competition in each of the past five seasons.
Their progression was dramatic in the previous round against Union SG, with an unusual deflection in extra time ultimately sending them through. Andreas Helmersen described the moment as an incredible feeling.
Bodø/Glimt also enjoyed a memorable Champions League campaign last season, recording victories over Manchester City, Atlético de Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting CP.
Slovan Bratislava meet Celje
Celje head into their encounter with Slovan Bratislava with European football already secured, but the Slovenian champions will be hoping to go considerably further.
Benjamin Verbič is one of the central figures in the tie after returning to his boyhood club this summer following an 11-year absence. The 32-year-old marked his comeback by scoring the decisive goal that carried Celje into the play-offs.
That result guaranteed Celje at least another Europa League league-phase campaign, although the club’s ambitions extend beyond that.
Standing in their way are Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava, who have already demonstrated their superiority over Celje by winning a previous meeting 6-1 on aggregate two years ago.
Slovan can also draw on the experience of former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré, who is part of the coaching setup.
The Bratislava club have a distinguished European history. In 1969, they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup after defeating Barcelona 3-2 in the final. Jozef Čapkovič, then just 21, was part of that successful side and later helped Czechoslovakia win the 1976 European Championship.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Sabah target historic breakthrough
The meeting between Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Sabah guarantees that one club will reach the Champions League league phase for the first time.
Neither side has previously featured in the competition’s main stage, making this one of the most significant ties of the round.
Sabah, the reigning Azerbaijani champions, were established only nine years ago but have quickly made an impact. They overturned Aarhus in their previous qualifying tie by scoring four times after the interval to seal their place in the play-offs.
Hapoel Beer-Sheva also produced an impressive result in the previous round, eliminating former European champions Crvena Zvezda 3-0 on aggregate.
Igor Zlatanović, the Serbian striker who previously played for Partizan, was among the goalscorers and will again be expected to play an important role.
The opening match between the clubs will be staged in Bucharest, Romania.
Sabah are attempting to become just the second Azerbaijani club to reach the Champions League group stage or league phase. Qarabağ achieved that feat in 2017/18 and again in 2025/26.
With seven Champions League places still available, the play-off round promises a mixture of established European names, ambitious newcomers and clubs chasing a historic breakthrough.