Three matches, three draws: everything remains up for grabs ahead of next Wednesday’s return legs. It was a particularly frustrating night for Dinamo Zagreb, who raced into a 2-0 lead inside ten minutes but still failed to beat Viking. Fenerbahçe were also unable to make home advantage count against Lyon, while Levski Sofia and AEK Athens played out the only goalless draw of the evening. The winners of the play-off ties will qualify for the Champions League league phase, with the losing sides dropping directly into the Europa League league phase.
Viking fight back from 2-0 down to stun Dinamo
Dinamo made an almost perfect start at the Maksimir and were already two goals ahead after ten minutes. There was a notable Austrian connection behind the opener: former Austria Wien player Matteo Pérez Vinlöf provided the assist for ex-SK Rapid striker Dion Beljo. Two players who represented Vienna’s arch-rivals during the 2024/25 season therefore combined to put Dinamo 1-0 ahead. Beljo was involved again shortly afterwards, producing an excellent assist for Mateo Lisica to make it 2-0.
Viking, however, showed why they became Norwegian champions last year for the first time since 1991. Peter Christiansen pulled one back with an impressive finish before captain Zlatko Tripić completed the comeback before half-time. Dinamo stepped up the pressure considerably after the break, but the Norwegians defended their penalty area well and held on for a draw. Given Dinamo’s early 2-0 lead, the result was the biggest surprise of Tuesday’s three fixtures. Viking will now have the opportunity to fight for a place in the Champions League in front of their own supporters in Stavanger next Wednesday.
Lyon take a valuable 1-1 draw home from Istanbul
Olympique Lyon made the brighter start in the highest-profile tie of the evening. Fenerbahçe initially struggled to pose a genuine attacking threat, while Lyon grew into the game as the first half progressed. Corentin Tolisso eventually delivered into the penalty area, where Loïs Openda headed the French side into the lead. Fenerbahçe needed the half-time break to find a response. Shortly after the restart, Mason Greenwood produced a strong individual move before beating Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif to level the score at 1-1.
The contest opened up considerably from that point. Openda struck the post for Lyon, while Anderson Talisca went close to putting Fenerbahçe ahead and former Salzburg player Dorgeles Nene also hit the woodwork. Late substitutes Marco Asensio and Romelu Lukaku were unable to force a winner for the hosts. Lyon should therefore head into the second leg at home as slight favourites.
The head-to-head record also makes interesting reading. Lyon had already gone unbeaten in their previous five European meetings with Fenerbahçe, winning four of them, while their Europa League encounter in January 2025 ended 0-0. The 1-1 draw in Istanbul means OL are now unbeaten in all six meetings between the clubs. Before the first leg, coach Paulo Fonseca had described Fenerbahçe as favourites because of the individual quality in their squad, while Lyon defender Moussa Niakhaté insisted his team had no reason to feel inferior to the Turkish side.
Goalless draw in Sofia
Levski Sofia can also continue dreaming of a place in the Champions League after holding AEK Athens to a 0-0 draw at home. The Bulgarian champions had opportunities to put themselves in an even stronger position for the return leg and carried the greater attacking threat for spells of the match, although arguably the best chance fell to AEK, who struck the post. Levski’s home record in qualifying remains particularly impressive: they had won all three of their previous home matches without conceding, and the clean sheet against AEK means they are still yet to concede at home after four European qualifiers.
Coach Julio Velázquez had underlined the scale of the challenge before the first leg. According to the Spaniard, AEK operate with a budget around nine times larger than Levski’s, meaning his side would have to perform close to their limit. After the opening 90 minutes, the underdogs remain very much alive. With the return leg taking place in Athens, AEK will now be favourites to progress, although an away victory would send Levski into the Champions League for the first time since the 2006/07 season. Back then, they made history by becoming the first Bulgarian club to reach the competition’s group stage.
