UEFA Champions League REVIEW 5 Aug 2026: Fenerbahce and Aarhus win Champions League qualifying first legs

Fenerbahce beat Sturm Graz 2-0 at home in the first leg of their Champions League tie. Talisca put the hosts in front in the ninth minute and M. Greenwood doubled the lead on 45, and Sturm Graz, who had J. Gorenc Stankovic, J. Heil and A. Kayombo booked, never got on the board. Fenerbahce came into the tie off the back of a 1-0 home win over Gornik Zabrze, Talisca scoring on 37 minutes, and a 1-1 draw in the return, where Talisca converted a penalty on twelve minutes before M. Sacek levelled on 45. Sturm Graz got here by beating Heart of Midlothian 4-0 at home, through Jon Gorenc Stankovic, Jeyland Mitchell, Luca Weinhandl and Jurgen Heil, and 2-0 away, through S. Seidl and E. Soglo. The return leg is at Sturm Graz.

Aarhus beat Sabah Baku 2-1 in the first leg of their own tie. J. Bogere scored both of the home goals, on 31 minutes and again on 63, and V. Simic pulled one back for Sabah on 66. Aarhus arrived having survived a dramatic previous tie against Lech Poznan. Beaten 4-1 at home on 21 July, they won the return away on 29 July 4-1: T. Bech scored on 32, K. Arnstad added a penalty on 55 and F. Tingager made it 0-3 on 75, before the match went to extra time, where F. Jagiello pulled one back for Lech on 95 and T. Kristjansson answered on 100 for 1-4. It then went to penalties, and Aarhus won the shootout 4-3. Sabah arrived having beaten The New Saints 2-0 at home and 2-1 away, then KuPS 1-0 at home and 2-0 away. The second leg is at Sabah Baku.