What a start to the Champions League playoffs! Tuesday night saw a thrilling upset, with Cypriot side Pafos pulling off a surprise 2-1 victory on the road against Serbian giants Red Star. This win came right at the start of the crucial playoff round, which decides who gets into the Champions League’s main league phase. Two Portuguese players, João Correia and Pepê Rodrigues, were at the heart of Pafos’s impressive performance.
The action kicked off in Belgrade. João Correia, a right-back with roots in both Portugal and Cape Verde, got things rolling for the visitors. He found the net incredibly early, before the first minute was even up. Later, in the 52nd minute, midfielder Pepê doubled Pafos’s lead, coolly converting a penalty. Red Star didn’t give up though. Brazilian forward Bruno Duarte, who used to play for Vitória de Guimarães and Farense, pulled one back for the home side. He scored in the 58th minute, tucking in the rebound after his own penalty kick was saved.
João Correia played a strong game, staying on the field until the 73rd minute. Pepê was a true ironman, playing the entire match for Pafos. The Cypriot team had to manage without a couple of other Portuguese players. Domingos Quina was suspended for the game, and Alexandre Brito wasn’t registered to play. Now, Pafos will host the deciding leg on August 26 in Limassol, Cyprus. Red Star has a rich history in this competition, having won it back in 1990-91 when it was known as the European Champions Clubs’ Cup.
Pafos is a relatively new club, founded in 2014, but they are the current Cypriot champions. They’re chasing a dream: their first-ever appearance in the main stage of Europe’s biggest club competition. It’s a tough road, but they’re showing they belong. Another club making waves in the playoffs is Belgium’s Club Brugge. They also grabbed a strong away win, beating Scottish side Rangers 3-1. Young talent Carlos Forbs started that game for Brugge.
This first round of Champions League playoff matches involves 14 clubs in total. Ten of these teams are on the ‘champions’ path, while four are on the ‘league’ path. The excitement continues on Wednesday with four more big games. One of those matches features Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, who will travel to Turkey to face Fenerbahçe. Interestingly, that Fenerbahçe team is coached by none other than José Mourinho.
Ultimately, seven teams will emerge as winners from these playoffs. They will earn their spots in the league phase of the 71st edition of this prestigious European club competition. Portugal’s two-time defending champion, Sporting, has already secured their spot in the main draw, waiting to see who joins them from these exciting qualifying battles.
