UEFA Champions League REVIEW 4 Aug 2026: Ararat-Armenia's Historic Night Headlines CL Qualifying Round Three

Ararat-Armenia beat Celje 2-1 at home on Tuesday in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the 2026-27 Champions League. It is new territory for the Armenian champions: this is the first time Ararat-Armenia have reached the third qualifying round of the Champions League, a club that only made its European debut in 2019-20 and had not gone past the earlier rounds since. Celje, the Slovenian champions, arrive at this stage after needing penalties to get past Egnatia in the previous round, and the away leg follows next week.

Sparta Prague also won their first leg 2-1, beating Lyon at home in a tie the French side had been expected to control. Lyon have not been in the UEFA Champions League since the 2019-20 campaign, and Tuesday's defeat leaves the return leg in Lyon finely poised rather than a formality.

Elsewhere, Royale Union SG drew 3-3 at home with Bodo/Glimt. Union begin their European campaign directly in the third qualifying round after winning the Belgian Pro League title, and the six-goal draw leaves both sides with work still to do in the second leg. Olympiacos were held 0-0 at home by Nijmegen, extending a difficult recent run for the Greek side. Dinamo Zagreb were the night's most emphatic winners, thrashing Kauno Zalgiris 5-0 at home, well in line with their billing as strong favourites for the tie.

In the other first legs, Slovan Bratislava won 2-1 away at Mjallby, Hapoel Beer Sheva beat Crvena zvezda 1-0 at home, and Levski Sofia edged Kairat Almaty 1-0. All eight ties are decided over two legs, with the second legs due next week.