The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League qualifying play-off round is set to unfold this week, featuring 14 clubs vying for the final spots in the prestigious tournament. Seven two-legged ties will determine which teams advance to the league phase, while those that fall short will enter the UEFA Europa League.

Play-off Schedule

The first legs of the play-offs are scheduled as follows:

• Tuesday, August 18, 2026: Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens, GNK Dinamo vs Viking, Fenerbahçe vs Lyon
• Wednesday, August 19, 2026: Hapoel Beer-Sheva vs Sabah, Celtic vs LASK, Slovan Bratislava vs Celje, N.E.C. vs Bodø/Glimt

The second legs will take place on:

• Tuesday, August 25, 2026: Sabah vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva, LASK vs Celtic, Bodø/Glimt vs N.E.C.
• Wednesday, August 26, 2026: AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia, Viking vs GNK Dinamo, Celje vs Slovan Bratislava, Lyon vs Fenerbahçe

All matches are set to kick off at 21:00 CET unless stated otherwise.

Fenerbahçe vs Lyon

Fenerbahçe and Lyon are both eager to return to the Champions League league phase, with their last appearances in 2008 and 2019, respectively. Historically, Lyon has had the upper hand in their encounters, winning all four previous Champions League matches in the 2000s. Their most recent clash was a goalless draw in the Europa League in January 2025.

Fenerbahçe secured their place in the play-offs by overcoming Górnik Zabrze and Sturm Graz, while Lyon entered the competition during the third qualifying round and bounced back from a first-leg defeat to Sparta Praha to advance. Lyon's recent performance in the Champions League, where they reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by Bayern Munich, adds to their confidence.

Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens

Levski Sofia is aiming for their first Champions League league-phase appearance since 2006, but their recent playoff history has been challenging, having fallen at the final hurdle in the UEFA Conference League in both 2023 and 2025. In contrast, AEK Athens comes into the tie with a stronger European pedigree, having won the Greek championship under Marko Nikolić and reached the Conference League quarter-finals last season, where they narrowly lost to Rayo Vallecano.

Levski Sofia also faced disappointment in last season's Conference League play-offs, while AEK successfully progressed past Anderlecht in their qualifying round.

As the play-off round approaches, the stakes are high for all clubs involved, with a place in the Champions League league phase on the line.