Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Nice's Jean Seri in action with Ajax's Kasper Dolberg REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
(Reuters) - Ajax stayed on course to reach a Champions League playoff after earning a 1-1 draw at Nice in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie while Celtic were held to a goalless stalemate at home by Rosenborg on Wednesday.
Dynamo Kiev were 3-1 home winners against Young Boys Berne and Kazakh champions Astana beat visiting Legia Warsaw by the same score to keep alive their own hopes of reaching the lucrative group stage for the second time in three seasons.
Italy striker Mario Balotelli fired Nice ahead with a close-range finish after a darting run by midfielder Jean Michael Serri in the 32nd minute.
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Nice's Vincent Koziello in action with Ajax's Donny van de Beek REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
But Ajax, last season's second-tier Europa League runners-up, levelled after poor defending allowed midfielder Donny van de Beek to sweep the ball home from 10 metres.
Celtic's hopes were left hanging in the balance after a tepid display against the Norwegian champions, who should have taken away more into the return leg as Yann-Erik de Lanlay squandered a gilt-edged chance on the hour.
The forward blazed his shot from 10 metres over the bar with only goalkeeper Craig Gordon to beat but Celtic could not take advantage in the closing stages.
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Nice's Mario Balotelli celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Istanbul Basaksehir, making their first Champions League appearance, almost staged the shock of the night after fighting back from a two-goal deficit in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Club Bruges.
The home side looked in cruise control after scoring twice in the opening 16 minutes but were stunned as Marcio Mossoro netted a brace and Eljero Elia added another to turn the match on its head.
Stefano Denswil spared Bruges's blushes but they still face a difficult task in the return leg.
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Nice's Mario Balotelli scores their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Patrick Twumasi struck in the 90th minute to delight Astana fans after Armando Sadiku had pulled one back for Legia, who trailed 2-0 at halftime.
There was also late drama and two stoppage-time goals in Kiev, where Dynamo's Denis Garmash had the final say after Christian Fassnacht scored what looked like a vital away goal for Young Boys.
Andriy Yarmolenko and Dieumerci Mbokani had given Dynamo a 2-0 first-half lead in the Olimpiyskyi stadium, the venue of next year's Champions League final.
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Donny van de Beek celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Croatian champions Rijeka, seeking their maiden group stage appearance, held on for a 1-1 draw at Salzburg after the home side's Korean forward Hee-Chan Hwang cancelled out a glancing header by Mario Gavranovic.
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Joel Veltman in action with Nice's Mario Balotelli REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Toby Davis)
Soccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Andre Onana in action with Nice's Mario Balotelli REUTERS/Eric GaillardSoccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Joel Veltman in action with Nice's Malang Sarr REUTERS/Eric GaillardSoccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Davinson Sanchez in action with Nice's Vincent Marcel REUTERS/Eric GaillardSoccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Ajax's Davinson Sanchez in action with Nice's Vincent Marcel REUTERS/Eric GaillardSoccer Football - Champions League - OGC Nice vs Ajax Amsterdam - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Nice, France - July 26, 2017 Nice's Vincent Marcel in action REUTERS/Eric GaillardSoccer Football - Champions League - Celtic vs Rosenborg BK - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Glasgow, Britain - July 26, 2017 Celtic's Tomas Rogic in action REUTERS/Russell CheyneSoccer Football - Champions League - Celtic vs Rosenborg BK - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Glasgow, Britain - July 26, 2017 Celtic's Scott Sinclair in action with Rosenborg's Vegar Eggen Hedenstad REUTERS/Russell CheyneSoccer Football - Champions League - Celtic vs Rosenborg BK - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Glasgow, Britain - July 26, 2017 Celtic's Kieran Tierney in action with Rosenborg's Milan Jevtovic REUTERS/Russell CheyneSoccer Football - Champions League - Celtic vs Rosenborg BK - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Glasgow, Britain - July 26, 2017 Celtic's James Forrest in action REUTERS/Russell CheyneSoccer Football - Champions League - Celtic vs Rosenborg BK - Third Qualifying Round First Leg - Glasgow, Britain - July 26, 2017 Rosenborg's Vegar Eggen Hedenstad in action with Celtic's Kieran Tierney REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
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