Here is a roundup ...
So, that’ll do! I think we’d all agree that was pretty entertaining – and hats off to Linfield & Wolves in particular for two exceptional results. Celtic did superbly too and Rangers look well set going into their home leg. Plenty to chew on before we come back for the return ties. Bye for now!
Tonight's first-leg results in full
Torino 2-3 Wolves
Celtic 2-0 AIK
Linfield 3-2 Qarabag
Legia Warsaw 0-0 Rangers
AEK 1-3 Trabzonspor
FSCB 0-0 Vitoria
Gent 2-1 Rijeka
PSV Eindhoven 3-0 Apollon Limassol
Strasbourg 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Antwerp
Braga 1-0 Spartak Moscow
Espanyol 3-1 Zorya Luhansk
Partizan Belgrade 2-1 Molde
Slovan Bratislava 1-0 PAOK
FK Suduva 0-0 Ferencvaros
Malmo 3-0 Bnei Yehuda
Feyenoord 3-0 Hapoel Beer-Sheva
Ludogorets 0-0 Maribor
Copenhagen 3-1 Riga
Astana 3-0 BATE Borisov
Ararat Armenia 2-1 F91 Dudelange
Full-time: Torino 2-3 Wolves
That’s a brilliant result from Wolves despite the fact that, like Qarabag, Torino put away a late spot kick. They have three goals and it’d be a surprise if they didn’t see this through now. Traore was electric, Jimenez superb, and this victory was throughly merited.
And Torino almost complete the comeback, Rui Patricio turning a vicious Belotti effort around the post!
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Goal! Torino 2-3 Wolves (Belotti 89 pen)
Belotti drills it low and gives Torino a lifeline.
Penalty to Torino!
A careless foul from Vinaigre, and maybe this ain’t over!
“Do any other neutrals have an enduring soft spot for Wolves purely on the basis of their unusual but appealing name, classic colours and fantastic badge!?” asks Chris Bojke. There is something old-world about them, I agree, and it’s charming to try and hang onto it even though the club is a very different animal, so to speak, these days.
Will we see a Serbian team in the group stage? The chances of that have increased now Zoran Tosic, the Manchester United old boy, has given Partizan a late 2-1 lead over Molde.
Wolves look so good, so composed, so balanced between defence and attack. They could go a long way in this competition.
Espanyol now lead Zorya 3-1 so we can probably say they’ve fought that fire.
Full-time: Celtic 2-0 AIK
A fine first-leg result there for Celtic, and well deserved too. That Edouard free-kick was especially memorable.
Goal! Torino 1-3 Wolves (Jimenez 72)
What a goal this is! Jimenez runs through, brilliantly beats his man, slots home and puts Wolves in a quite possibly unassailable position!
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Full-time: Linfield 3-2 Qarabag
It’s the final action but the whistle is still greeted by roars at Windsor Park. And so it should be – that late penalty was a shame but they have the advantage and another performance of this resilience and quality in Baku will give them a decent chance next week. A night to remember for Linfield and Northern Irish club football.
Goal! Linfield 3-2 Qarabag (Magaye 90+3)
He Panenkas it! Such coolness with the tie possibly on the line. Linfield are still on for a famous win but you’d probably give Qarabag the upper hand now.
Penalty to Qarabag
Ah. We’re a minute and a half from the end of added time and a late, tired challenge gives Qarabag a chance to change the complexion somewhat ...
Jimenez twists, turns and has a shot blocked as Wolves seek a third goal in Turin.
Now Linner makes a double save from Edouard and Morgan. Celtic have been very good indeed since the break.
What an entertaining evening this has become. McGregor is within an inch of giving Celtic a surely unassailable 3-0 lead there, with nine to play. Linfield are a little over five minutes from a remarkable result.
Espanyol have plundered an equaliser against Zorya. FCSB have drawn 0-0 against Vitoria. Strasbourg held on to beat Eintracht 1-1 and AZ drew 1-1 with Antwerp. PSV beat Apollon 3-0 and Gent overcame Rijeka 2-1.
Goal! Torino 1-2 Wolves (De Silvestri 61)
Ah, well it’s not done yet. Wolves immediately fall asleep on a cross from the left and De Silvestri steals over to head in. It’s a good game!
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Goal! Torino 0-2 Wolves (Jota 60)
Yep, there’s the second! No surprise that it comes from another ripping run from Traore, who has been pretty much unplayable. He reaches the byline and pulls back for Jota, who finishes clinically!
Goal! Celtic 2-0 AIK (Edouard 73)
Oh, what a strike! Edouard weighs up a free-kick 25 yards out, steps forward and bends a sublime effort around the wall and past Linner. Celtic have a foot in the groups too!
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Goal! Linfield 3-1 Qarabag (Lavery 75)
This is incredible! A Qarabag defender dithers on halfway and Lavery, hassling him tirelessly, robs him before running half the length of the pitch, cutting inside a covering man and then curling home a sublime finish! It’s on the break, it’s completely unexpected, and now they can hold genuine hope of the group stage!
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Ricardo Horta has given Braga a 1-0 advantage over Spartak Moscow with 16 minutes to play. PSV lead Apollon 3-0.
It is attack against defence, to all intents and purposes, in Belfast now but Linfield are edging towards that place in the driving seat ahead of the return. Including added time there are about 20 to play.
Torino’s Ansaldi is booked for an agricultural foul on the flying Traore, who has caused a world of trouble so far.
Oh, and they are back underway in Turin. Wolves could easily sneak another goal this half, I reckon.
Gent are 2-1 up against Rijeka now and it’s your friend & mine, the ex-Huddersfield battleaxe Laurent Depoitre, with both of them!
Linfield have reached the hour mark ahead, still 2-1. Can they hang on for a really famous result? Or even build on this lead?
Copenhagen ended up beating Riga 3-1; Trabzonspor did exactly that to AEK Athens, away from home. Feyenoord came out 3-0 winners against Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Malmo also beat Bnei Yehuda 3-0 on a bad night for Israel. It was goalless between Ludogorets and Maribor.
Linner partly atones with a fingertip stop to his right – sorry, didn’t see who the attacker was. But Celtic have made a flying start to this half!
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Goal! Celtic 1-0 AIK (Forrest 48)
But they lead now! Forrest bursts into the area and the AIK keeper Linner, who has saved a few so far, seems to have thwarted him again. But he can’t get enough of a strong hand on it – the ball loops up and drops slowly into the net, and Celtic Park goes mad!
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Celtic are back underway against AIK and McGregor has just forced a decent save with a stinging 25-yard drive. Nothing comes of the corner.
It’s half-time in Turin! Wolves will be very happy: they lead 1-0 through that Izzo own goal just a few minutes ago.
Full-time: Legia Warsaw 0-0 Rangers
Both sides will be glad enough of that. I’m just glad it was only one of four games on my screen because it looked fairly ... uneventful.
Goal! Torino 0-1 Wolves (Izzo own goal 43)
That’s the one they wanted! And I think they deserve it too. Moutinho sizes up a free-kick from the left, Saiss is among those to jump for it, and it’s flicked into the net off a Torino head! It looks like it’s come off Izzo, in fact, and nestles in the corner!
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Two quick goals in Belgrade, where Partizan and Molde were goalless but are now 1-1 – the home side equalising on the stroke of half-time.
Another good Wolves counter sees Jimenez fail to find the supporting Traore with a final ball. At the other end Belotti cuts inside before flashing a shot not far wide. It’s decent enough fare there.
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Zorya Luhansk lead 1-0 at Espanyol through Vladyslav Kochergin, which would count as a surprise if it remained that way.
It’s half-time at Celtic Park – goalless.
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Ekuban has his hat-trick for Trabzonspor at AEK Athens! It’s 3-1 there and Sturridge might have his work cut out to get in at this point.
I just saw Allan McGregor make a pretty smart save for Rangers, although what I didn’t see was who from. Ten minutes to go in Warsaw and they’ll be happy if it stays goalless.
I don’t want to say not a lot is happening at Celtic v AIK but the club have just announced this:
#LaGranMuralla 🧤
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 22, 2019
✍️ Fraser Forster rejoins #CelticFC on a season-long loan.
Welcome back, Fraser! 🍀⚪️
Goal! Linfield 2-1 Qarabag (Lavery 45)
The turnaround is complete! A left-sided set-piece comes across again, but this time it’s a corner. Shane Lavery beats a frankly nowhere goalkeeper to the ball and heads into the vacant net. Linfield, who could have been well out of this, now lead the tie!
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Close for Wolves again! It’s right-sided free-kick whipped in for Dendoncker who, once he’s risen and met it, really should do better than head wide! Twenty-four minutes gone there.
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Goal! Linfield 1-1 Qarabag (Stafford 40)
Well! I think that’s their first effort on target. A free-kick is delivered from the left and Mark Stafford, timing his run perfectly, nods in on the run! The tie is alive, out of nothing!
Linfield are still a goal down, with seven minutes til the break, and being completely dominated.
Two sides that *have* notched away goals are Antwerp, who lead 1-0 at AZ, and Rijeka, who are winning 1-0 at Gent. Half-time in both. You’d enjoy a visit to Rijeka if you supported Arsenal or Man United.
Traore is causing all kinds of chaos down the right-hand side – he’s just forced more desperate defending from a blistering run and cross. On early evidence you’d fancy Wolves to get an away goal tonight.
Good chance for Wolves! Sirigu saves really well with his legs from Jota after a lightning run from Adama Traore, who is playing at wing-back today.
Rangers are still goalless at Legia as we hit the hour there. It’s not exactly a thrill a minute as far as I can see.
Wolves are counterattacking with decent purpose against Torino, who themselves have shown some lively moments. Celtic continue to probe against AIK – Odsonne Edouard has just surged towards the box and seen a good effort parried wide.
Kevin Lucien Zohi has put Strasbourg a goal up against last season’s semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt – who of course are now without Luka Jovic and Seb Haller. Copenhagen might have spared their blushes against Riga for this week at least – they lead 2-1.
Now Qarabag miss an absolute sitter at Linfield – whacking the post from close in when it seemed easier to score. They could wrap this entire two-legged tie up before long if Linfield aren’t careful.
Celtic, meanwhile, look lively against AIK and have had a goal chalked off for offside, but it’s goalless still.
It sounds lively in Turin – where Wolves will soon kick off ...
Goal! Linfield 0-1 Qarabag (Rherras 15)
A ball flipped over the top, an outstretched boot from the onrushing Qarabag man, and the ball loops up into Linfield’s goal. It could be a long way back from here against experienced European opponents.
“Did you know that Larsson in the AIK team is the Seb Larsson that played in Arsenal, Birmingham and Sunderland?” writes Hakan Burden.
I do now! One of the better free-kick takers of the past decade even if the rest of his game wasn’t quite top-level.
Linfield and Celtic are both underway. Wolves will be soon. Malmo have beaten Bnei Yehuda 3-0. Lithuanian hopes are meanwhile alive as Suduva have held Ferencvaros to a goalless draw at home.
Trabzonspor now lead 2-1 at AEK! Maybe we’ll see Sturridge in Europe after all. Caleb Ekuban, once of Leeds you know, has nabbed them both.
Rangers don’t appear to be creating all that much at Legia as we near half-time – though the crowd is, as mentioned, definitely making it into an occasion. Nip and tuck for Stevie G’s crew at the moment; suspect this will be a tight tie right to the bitter end.
A surprise on the cards in Copenhagen? Vladimirs Kamess has made it 1-1 there with a big away goal for minnows Riga ...
Trabzonspor – minus their new signing Daniel Sturridge for now – have also plundered an away goal in Athens. It’s 1-1 with AEK.
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Celtic v AIK – teams
Celtic: Gordon, Ajer, Jullien, Simunovic, Bolingoli Mbombo, Forrest, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Edouard, Johnston. Subs: Hazard, Bitton, Griffiths, Bayo, Hayes, Morgan, Ntcham.
AIK: Linner, Granli, Karlsson, Mets, Lundstrom, Larsson, Adu, Bahoui, Lindkvist, Goitom, Sigthorsson. Subs: Janosevic, Dimitriadis, Ogbuke Obasi, Michel, Saletros, Hussein, Rashidi.
Linfield v Qarabag – teams
Linfield: Ferguson, Casement, Stafford, Callacher, Clarke, Mulgrew, Andrew Mitchell, Cooper, Hery, Quinn, Lavery. Subs: Moore, Larkin, Waterworth, Jordan Stewart, Millar, Kearns, McGivern.
Qarabag: Vagner, Rherras, Medvedev, Sadygov, Huseynov, Garayev, Quintana, Michel, Zoubir, Emreli, Romero. Subs: Mahammadaliyev, Ailton, Slachev, Abdullayev, Ibrahhimli, Hajiyev, Gueye.
Can Linfield cause a huge shock and make the group stage for the first time?
Legia really up for it for once. Great atmosphere and tempo to the game #LEGRAN
— Christopher Lash (@rightbankwarsaw) August 22, 2019
Legia v Rangers is off to a bright start. Can’t imagine either fanbase keeping too quiet – sounds electric in there.
Torino v Wolves – teams
Torino: Sirigu, Izzo, N’Koulou, Bremer, De Silvestri, Meite, Baselli, Ansaldi, Zaza, Belotti, Berenguer. Subs: Rosati, Lukic, Bonifazi, Millico, Djidji, Aina, Rincon.
Wolves: Rui Patricio, Traore, Vallejo, Coady, Boly, Ruben Vinagre, Dendoncker, Saiss, Joao Moutinho, Jimenez, Jota. Subs: Ruddy, Bennett, Pedro Neto, Neves, Cutrone, Gibbs-White, Jonny.
Wolves leave Ruben Neves on the bench but that’s a very strong team overall.
Feyenoord, Copenhagen and AEK have all taken the lead since that first bulletin. Malmo are 3-0 up!
Hello
And welcome! It’s time for the sharp end of the ... erm ... blunt end. The Europa League play-off first legs are upon us, we’re beating a brisk path to next May’s showpiece in Gdansk, and here are tonight’s runners & riders:
British interest:
Torino v Wolves (8pm)
Celtic v AIK (7.45pm)
Linfield v Qarabag (7.45pm)
Legia Warsaw v Rangers (7pm)
Other evening kick-offs
AEK v Trabzonspor (7pm)
FSCB v Vitoria (7.30pm)
Gent v Rijeka (7.30pm)
PSV Eindhoven v Apollon Limassol (7.30pm)
Strasbourg v Eintracht Frankfurt (7.30pm)
AZ Alkmaar v Antwerp (7.30pm)
Braga v Spartak Moscow (7.45pm)
Espanyol v Zorya Luhansk (8pm)
Partizan Belgrade v Molde (8pm)
Slovan Bratislava v PAOK (8pm)
Matches already ongoing
FK Suduva 0-0 Ferencvaros (6pm)
Malmo 2-0 Bnei Yehuda (6pm)
Feyenoord 0-0 Hapoel Beer-Sheva (6.30pm)
Ludogorets 0-0 Maribor (6.30pm)
Copenhagen 0-0 Riga (6.45pm)
Matches that have ALREADY FINISHED!
Astana 3-0 BATE Borisov
Ararat Armenia 2-1 F91 Dudelange
What a lot of football! Those games at the top will be our main focus tonight – what a tie Torino v Wolves could be – but we won’t forget the others. For one thing, fans of Arsenal and Manchester United will be keep to gen up on potential opponents. Kazakhstan and Armenia already seem to be on the table. What about Israel, Lithuania or Latvia?
We’ll find out soon enough! Or soon, anyway. Send in your emails and tweets throughout and let’s enjoy.
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