Champions League: A look at the remaining eight teams

The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 playoff return leg sees LASK host Celtic at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, with the Austrian champions facing a formidable three-goal deficit after falling 3-0 at Celtic Park in the first leg. A place in the lucrative Champions League league phase hangs in the balance, and while Celtic hold a commanding advantage built on Benjamin Nygren's opener and a Camilo Durán double in Glasgow, LASK will draw on their passionate home support to attempt a historic comeback. This tie represents the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, adding extra intrigue to a high-stakes European night where the winners will advance to the league phase draw on 27 August.

LASK's squad for the 2026/27 season is anchored by the core that delivered their first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1964-65, with manager Dietmar Kuhbauer relying on goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth, a back three of Xavier Mbuyamba, Alemão and Andrés Andrade, a hard-working midfield featuring Kasper Jørgensen, Robert Ljubičić, Melayro Bogarde, Sascha Horvath and George Bello, and an attacking pairing of Samuel Adeniran and Moses Usor. The Linz side have shown resilience in recent months, though they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sturm Graz in late April. European odds for the home win in this return leg sit around 2.40, reflecting both the difficulty of overturning the deficit and LASK's proven goal-scoring threat at the Raiffeisen Arena.

Sabah Baku host Hapoel Beer Sheva on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, in the decisive second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 Play-Off Round at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium. The Azerbaijani side face a stern challenge after falling to a 2-1 defeat in the first leg at the Rapid-Giulești Stadium in Bucharest, where Veljko Simić gave Sabah an early lead before Javon East and Igor Zlatanović turned the match around for the Israeli outfit. With a place in the lucrative Champions League league phase on the line, Sabah must win by a two-goal margin in front of their home supporters to keep their European dream alive.

Both managers are expected to field their strongest available selections from the 2026/2027 season squads. Sabah coach Valdas Dambrauskas can call upon goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov, a back four featuring Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov and Tymoteusz Puchacz, with Umarali Rakhmonaliev and Ivan Lepinjica shielding the defence. The attacking unit of Aleksey Isayev, Veljko Simić and Joy-Lance Mickels will look to unlock a Hapoel defence marshalled by captain Miguel Vítor, with Ofir Marciano between the posts. Hapoel coach Ran Kozuk is likely to stick with the 4-3-3 system that worked in the first leg, deploying Guy Mizrahi, Itay Rotman and Pedro Amador alongside Vítor, while Eliel Peretz, Lucas Ventura and Niv Yehoshua control midfield. The front three of Javon East, Igor Zlatanović and Zahi Ahmed carry the goal threat, though Eylon Almog remains unavailable for the visitors.

AEK Athens host Levski Sofia on August 26, 2026, in the decisive second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 play-off round at the Agia Sophia Stadium. The tie remains perfectly balanced after a goalless draw in the first leg at the Vivacom Arena in Sofia on August 18, where neither side managed to break the deadlock despite several chances at both ends. The winner of this encounter will secure a coveted place in the Champions League league phase, while the defeated team will drop into the UEFA Europa League group stage. With both clubs seeking a return to Europe's elite competition after lengthy absences, the atmosphere in Athens is expected to be electric as the Greek champions look to capitalize on home advantage and overturn the stalemate from Bulgaria.

Marko Nikolić's AEK Athens squad for the 2026/2027 season features a blend of experience and quality throughout the spine of the team. Albania international Thomas Strakosha guards the goal behind a defensive line marshalled by Harold Moukoudi, Domagoj Vida, and Portuguese summer signing Filipe Relvas. The midfield is powered by Romanian international Răzvan Marin, Mexican playmaker Orbelín Pineda, captain Petros Mantalos, and Croatian technician Lovro Majer, while the attacking threat comes from Serbian striker Luka Jović, Aboubakary Koïta, Hungarian forward Barnabás Varga, and Angola's Zini. AEK reached this stage in dramatic fashion and will draw confidence from recent European experience, including a 3-1 home victory over Rayo Vallecano and a 3-0 defeat away to the same opposition in the Conference League quarter-finals last season.

Tottenham Hotspur will welcome Charlton Athletic to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, for a second-round tie in the 2026–27 Carabao Cup. Kick-off is set for 7:45pm BST. The fixture represents the first competitive encounter between the two sides since January 2011, when Spurs eased to a 3–0 victory in an FA Cup third-round tie at White Hart Lane thanks to goals from Andros Townsend and a quickfire double from Jermain Defoe.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham squad for the 2026/2027 season features a blend of established stars and summer acquisitions, with Antonín Kinský in goal, a defensive line including Pedro Porro, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, and an attacking unit led by Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons. Spurs come into this cup tie looking to bounce back from a difficult end to the previous Premier League campaign, which saw them suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea and manage only a 1-1 draw at home to Leeds United in their final two league outings.

Olympique Lyonnais will host Fenerbahçe in the decisive second leg of the UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 play-off round on August 26, 2026, at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, with a place in the lucrative league phase hanging in the balance. The first leg in Istanbul ended in a 1-1 draw on August 18, leaving everything to play for in France. Lyon come into this encounter looking to capitalize on their home advantage after a mixed end to their Ligue 1 campaign, which included a thrilling 4-2 victory over Rennes in their final home outing of the domestic season.

Paulo Fonseca's Lyon squad for the 2026/2027 season features a blend of experience and emerging talent, with Dominik Greif between the posts and a defensive unit including Abner, Moussa Niakhaté, Ruben Kluivert, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The midfield is anchored by captain Corentin Tolisso alongside Tyler Morton and Tanner Tessmann, while the attacking trio of Malick Fofana, Loïs Openda, and Ernest Nuamah provides pace and creativity. However, Lyon will be without key midfielder Pavel Sulc and defender Nicolas Tagliafico, which could prove costly against a battle-hardened Fenerbahçe side that has already eliminated Górnik Zabrze and Sturm Graz without conceding a goal in their last three European outings.

The UEFA Champions League play-off second leg between Viking and Dinamo Zagreb takes centre stage on August 26, 2026, at Viking Stadion in Stavanger, Norway. The tie is perfectly poised after a breathtaking 2-2 draw in the first leg at Stadion Maksimir on August 18, where the Croatian champions surged into a two-goal lead inside ten minutes through Dion Drena Beljo and Mateo Lisica, only for the Norwegian side to mount a stunning comeback with goals from Peter Christiansen and Zlatko Tripić before half-time. With a coveted place in the Champions League league phase on the line, the return fixture promises to be a tense and tactical battle under the Stavanger floodlights.

Both managers will turn to their established 2026/2027 season squads for this winner-takes-all clash. Viking will look to captain Zlatko Tripić, leading scorer Peter Christiansen, midfield general Kristoffer Askildsen, and the defensive pairing of Henrik Heggheim and Gianni Stensness, with veteran goalkeeper Arild Østbø providing experience between the posts. Dinamo Zagreb coach Mario Kovačević can call upon a deep and talented roster featuring goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić, defenders Scott McKenna and Kévin Théophile-Catherine, creative midfielders Luka Stojković and Matteo Perez Vinlöf, and the first-leg goalscorers Dion Drena Beljo and Mateo Lisica, all of whom were instrumental in the club's ruthless 7-1 aggregate victory over Kauno Žalgiris in the previous qualifying round.