Champions League qualifying reaches its second-leg crunch as the road to the league phase narrows
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The Champions League second qualifying round reaches its decisive second legs on July 28-29, following the opening matches on July 21-22, according to UEFA. Tie winners advance to the third qualifying round, while those who fall are transferred to the Europa League, keeping their European campaign alive on a different path.
UEFA reported that the first legs delivered goals and drama across both the champions and league paths, leaving a number of ties finely poised heading into the return fixtures. With two-legged aggregate scores still to be settled, several qualifiers hang in the balance ahead of the second legs.
Transfer and squad notes
The third qualifying round draw has already been conducted, mapping out the paths awaiting the second-round winners as the field narrows toward the league phase, according to UEFA. That round's ties will follow in early August for clubs that come through this week.
The 2026/27 league phase draw is confirmed for Thursday, August 27 at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, with 36 teams each set to face eight different opponents drawn from four seeding pots, according to Goal. Most participants have already secured their places through domestic performance last season, with the remaining spots to be decided by the qualifying play-offs in August.
Matchday 1 of the league phase is scheduled across September 8-10, with the top eight after eight games advancing directly to the round of 16 and clubs finishing between ninth and 24th contesting two-legged knockout play-offs, per UEFA. The format mirrors the single-league structure used the previous season.
What it means for the league
The competition is in the thick of its summer qualifying stage, with this week's second legs the next gate on a long road to the group-stage equivalent. Attention will then shift to the August 27 draw in Nyon and a September 8-10 start, under the retained 36-team league format that rewards the strongest performers with a direct route to the knockouts. For now, the smaller clubs in the champions and league paths hold the spotlight before Europe's biggest names enter.