Scottish champions Celtic are in danger of failing to reach the lucrative group stage of the Uefa Champions League for a second successive season despite Dedryck Boyata’s late goal giving them a 1-0 home win over Azerbaijani side Qarabag in their third qualifying round first leg clash.
Boyata’s header from Kris Commons’ cross eight minutes from time saved the hosts’ blushes and gives them a slight advantage to take to Baku next week and hope of progressing to the play-off round for the group stage.
However, the Azerbaijani side — who beat eventual Europa League finalists Dnipro in a group stage game last term as well as holding Inter Milan to a 0-0 draw — showed enough in restricting Celtic to only a handful of opportunities that they can claim a famous scalp.
Ajax held to draw
Another former winner of Europe’s premier club competition Ajax grabbed what on the face of it was a respectable 2-2 draw away at Rapid Vienna but will be kicking themselves it wasn’t a better result.
A double by midfielder Davy Klaasen gave them a 2-0 lead by half-time.
Rapid’s Florain Kainz reduced the arrears shortly after the restart in the second-half but the hosts’ hopes looked to have suffered a terminal blow when Stefan Scwab was given a straight red just before the hour mark for a foul on Jairo Riedewald.
Despite that they levelled with 17 minutes remaining, Slovenian forward Robert Beric firing home to at least send them to Amsterdam on level terms.
Monaco in command
On Tuesday Layvin Kurzawa starred as last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists Monaco took a big step towards the play-off round with a 3-1 win away at Swiss side Young Boys.
The 22-year-old French defender blocked a goalbound effort by Japanese striker Yuya Kubo on the line in the 62nd minute and then two minutes later scored at the other end with a sublime volley, from Fabinho’s cross, to set Monaco on their way.
This sparked a crazy flurry with the three other goals coming in the next 11 minutes.
They doubled their lead through Argentinian Guido Carillo, who had come on only a minute before for another new recruit, 21-year-old Portuguese forward Ivan Cavaleiro, as he headed home from playmaker Joao Moutinho’s 72nd minute free kick.
Young Boys — whose former PSG striker Guillaume Hoarau should have done better with two free headers — briefly got back into the match as veteran midfielder Raphael Nuzolo reduced the deficit with 16 minutes remaining.
However, their hopes were extinguished within a minute as Croatian Mario Pasalic — on loan from English champions Chelsea — scored with a fierce strike from the edge of the penalty area.
While the second leg should be a formality for Monaco a tougher task lies ahead with the likes of Manchester United and Valencia potential opponents in the final qualifying round which leads to the lucrative group stage.
Fenerbahce face uphill task
Elsewhere another side who radically changed their squad during the close season, Fenerbahce, fared less well as they were held 0-0 at home in Istanbul by Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk, who are no strangers to the group stages.
Despite fielding several of their big name signings, such as Portuguese winger Nani, the Turkish side were unable to unlock the Ukrainian defence.
Dutch striker Robin van Persie — signed amid much fanfare earlier this month from Manchester United — came on for the last 20-odd minutes replacing Moussa Sow but contributed little.
Fenerbahce, who have returned to European competition after serving a two-year ban for their involvement in match-fixing, will have it all to do next week in the second leg to keep alive their hopes of a return to the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
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