Slovan Bratislava and Red Star Belgrade made surprising comebacks in the UEFA Champions League play-offs to secure spots in the league phase.

Uros Spajic of Crvena Zvezda was in a celebratory mood after his team emerged victorious in the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Off second leg match against Bodo Glimt at stadium Rajko Mitic on August 28, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia.

In a thrilling turn of events, both Slovan Bratislava and Red Star Belgrade managed to stage remarkable comebacks on their home turf, securing their spots in the inaugural league phase of this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Slovan Bratislava faced Danish champions Midtjylland and found themselves trailing 1-2. However, two goals in the final 10 minutes of the match turned the tables, resulting in a shocking 3-2 victory for the Slovakians. This win was particularly significant as Slovan had never before qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. They will now be part of the new Swiss model league phase.

The league phase will consist of 36 clubs, each facing eight different opponents, four at home and four away. The top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams ranked 9-24 will compete in an extra play-off round.

Slovan Bratislava took the lead through Croatian midfielder Marko Tolic, but Midtjylland fought back strongly, scoring on either side of half-time. It was not until the 82nd minute that Tolic managed to secure his second goal, equalizing the score. Tigran Barseghyan then sealed the victory with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, leading to scenes of jubilation at the Narodny Futbalovy Stadion.

Red Star Belgrade, one-time winners of the European Cup, faced a tough challenge against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the previous leg. However, the Serbian team managed to equalize midway through the first half, with summer signing Bruno Duarte scoring from the penalty spot. The comeback was completed in the 60th minute when captain Uros Spajic headed in the winning goal, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory for Red Star.

In other matches, Lille held off a spirited Slavia Prague to secure their return to the UEFA Champions League. Despite an early goal from Slavia, Lille’s Edon Zhegrova extended their lead, and even a late effort from Ivan Schranz was not enough to force extra time.

Additionally, Dinamo Zagreb comfortably defeated Qarabag with a 2-0 win, securing a 5-0 aggregate victory and their progression to the next stage.