The conclusion of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League brought excitement as Monaco, Ajax, Celtic, and København secured their spots in the play-offs, while Olympiacos, Anderlecht, and Shakhtar Donetsk were eliminated.

Monaco and Ajax Advance

Monaco turned around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg against Fenerbahçe, winning 3-1 on the night to progress with a 4-3 aggregate score. Valère Germain opened the scoring in the second minute, marking his first goal in European competition. Radamel Falcao later converted a penalty after Nabil Dirar was fouled, but Fenerbahçe equalized through Emmanuel Emenike early in the second half. However, Germain struck again with 25 minutes remaining, ensuring Monaco's advancement.

Ajax also made a comeback, defeating PAOK 2-1 on the night to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory. Davy Klaassen played a pivotal role, scoring both the equalizer from the penalty spot just before half-time and the decisive goal from the edge of the area in the closing minutes. This victory ended Greece's hopes in the competition.

Celtic and Young Boys Shine

Celtic progressed by eliminating Astana, scoring a crucial penalty in added time. Meanwhile, Young Boys completed a remarkable comeback against Shakhtar Donetsk. After losing the first leg 2-0, they leveled the tie with two goals from Yuya Kubo. The match went to penalties, where Young Boys triumphed 4-2, knocking out a team that had reached the group stage for six consecutive years.

As the defeated teams shift their focus to the UEFA Europa League play-offs, the draw for the Champions League play-offs will be streamed live at 12:00 CEST on Friday.