Champions League drama: LASK, Sabah, and Bodo/Glimt secure qualification
LASK produced a stunning comeback against Celtic, while Sabah and Bodo/Glimt also advanced to the next round of the UEFA Champions League following thrilling matches.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Steindy ( talk ) 23:22, 4 September 2018 (UTC)
Tuesday's Champions League qualification fixtures delivered pure drama, defying low expectations for excitement with a series of historic comebacks and high-scoring affairs.
The headline story was LASK's remarkable turnaround against Celtic. After falling 3-0 in the first leg and conceding early in the return match, the Austrian side staged an improbable recovery. A goal from Ljubicic early in the second half proved to be the turning point, as the Scottish giants crumbled under relentless pressure. LASK forced extra time and eventually sealed a 5-1 victory. The statistics were overwhelming: 40 shots from LASK, while Celtic failed to threaten in the second half.
In Baku, Sabah produced another spectacle, overcoming a first-leg deficit to beat Hapoel Be'er Sheva 5-2. Despite two individual errors from their goalkeeper, the hosts launched a desperate late-match surge, finding the net in stoppage time to force extra time, where they dominated the exhausted visitors.
Elsewhere, Bodo/Glimt comfortably confirmed their progression by defeating NEC Nijmegen 3-0. An early red card for the visitors effectively ended any chances of a comeback for the Dutch team, allowing the Norwegian side to cruise into the next round.