Champions League qualifying: Dinamo Zagreb earn late draw, Crvena zvezda and Sturm Graz win

[p]Entering the second qualifying round were some clubs with plenty of Champions League pedigree. One of them included [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/din-zagreb/8G5ufQTg/"]Dinamo Zagreb[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/din-zagreb-8G5ufQTg/thun-4WElAd9p/?mid=zJBsmMqm"]who were held to a 1-1 draw away[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/thun/4WElAd9p/"]Thun[/a] in what was their 400th match in UEFA club competition play.[/p][p]The Swiss side, who reached the group stage in 2005/06, took the lead 20 minutes into the match thanks to Brighton Labeau. Their goal came from one of their three shots on target in the match.[/p][p]In what was a rather even opening 45 minutes, the Croatian giants struggled to gain control on the road. They improved in the second half, mustering 11 attempts on Thun's goal. Just as it looked like Dinamo would suffer a shock defeat, they found their leveller four minutes before the end via [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zajc-miha/Ch67DmvB/"]Miha Zajc[/a].[/p][embed guid="0e4ea000-972c-4d04-9cbc-7417941972be" url="https://x.com/CroatiaFooty/status/2079657589915124111?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The result also kept Dinamo unbeaten within the first two rounds of UCL qualifiers since 2010, when they lost 3-0 on the road to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/koper/vP5HUcK5/"]Koper[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovan-bratislava/QRaWdwQf/"]Slovan Bratislava[/a] scored two first half goals six minutes apart against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iberia-1999/dhfRkskl/"]Iberia 1999[/a] to defeat the Georgian champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/iberia-1999-dhfRkskl/slovan-bratislava-QRaWdwQf/?mid=2PJmRseU"]2-0[/a]. The Slovak side, who have won the last eight league titles, have gotten past this stage in each of the last three summers. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fenerbahce/MsbmracL/"]Fenerbahce[/a] were held to just one goal against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gornik-zabrze/2LH3Ywq4/"]Gornik Zabrze[/a] at home, but still [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fenerbahce-MsbmracL/gornik-zabrze-2LH3Ywq4/?mid=CIeF1Lbt"]managed to defeat the Polish outfit 1-0.[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/talisca/WOjSZZ6U/"]Talisca[/a] got his team's winner in a match where the hosts dominated proceedings. Somehow, they only ended up scoring once, leaving the tie open.[/p][p]Fener are looking to make it back to the Champions League group phase for the first time since 2008/09, with this being their 10th appearance in the qualifying rounds since then.[/p][p]It was quite the day for debutant sides in the competition. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mjallby/S0XtXM1E/"]Mjallby[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sabah-baku/fNGcxbyr/"]Sabah Baku[/a] started the day with victories at home. The Swedish side topped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lincoln-red-imps/bHbMply6/"]Lincoln Red Imps[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/lincoln-red-imps-bHbMply6/mjallby-S0XtXM1E/?mid=Wb0Ds3uB"]3-0[/a], getting the job done in the opening half. As for Azerbaijan's Sabah, they edged [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kups/nLBbqJDS/"]KuPS Kuopio[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kups-nLBbqJDS/sabah-baku-fNGcxbyr/?mid=88qH0RvK"]1-0[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fk-kauno-zalgiris/0p17kQla/"]Kauno Zalgiris[/a] will also be satisfied with their first leg result [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kauno-zalgiris-0p17kQla/klaksvik-j9PptHXf/?mid=ltKlQjkS"]as they earned a goalless draw[/a] away to Faroe Island's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/klaksvik/j9PptHXf/"]KI Klaksvik[/a].[/p][h2]Crvena zvezda, Sturm Graz win big[/h2][p]There were some one-sided games in the UCL this round, but perhaps none more so than in Northern Ireland. At Inver Park, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crvena-zvezda/ncRzHK14/"]Crvena zvezda[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/crvena-zvezda-ncRzHK14/larne-44wiLnI5/?mid=fkahUKzi"]prevailed 4-0[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/larne/44wiLnI5/"]Larne[/a] to put themselves in a strong position to advance.[/p][p]A [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bruno-duarte/Y1PVwc0G/"]Bruno Duarte[/a] penalty midway through the first half put the former European Cup champions ahead. Larne did well to keep their more fancied opponents at bay until the break, but Red Star turned up the intensity in the second half by scoring three more times.[/p][p]Crvena zvezda finished with 27 shots in the match to Larne's one, with the record Serbian winners hoping to make the group phase for the third time in the last four seasons.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/hearts-0rGrwwNc/sturm-graz-zsktjfsD/?mid=hdcVcwb5"]There was another 4-0 scoreline[/a] on Tuesday, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sturm-graz/zsktjfsD/"]Sturm Graz[/a] topping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hearts/0rGrwwNc/"]Hearts[/a] at home. Unlike the other game with the same result, the Austrians were given a more firm test against a Hearts making their return to UCL qualifying two decades from their last showing.[/p][embed guid="67a0282d-6adc-4e30-9d36-9624c161178b" url="https://x.com/SKSturm/status/2079664263015125457?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]A nine-minute stretch just before the hour mark saw Sturm score thrice to blow the tie wide open and put them in a great position to advance. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lech-poznan/OpNH7Ouf/"]Lech Poznan[/a] were the other side to score four times in their game, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aarhus/OOXnKGbO/"]AGF Aarhus[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aarhus-OOXnKGbO/lech-poznan-OpNH7Ouf/?mid=GdDcqvqC"]4-1 on their travels[/a]. The Danish club went down a man late in the first half, conceding three times after that. While they did manage to score despite their disadvantage, it proved not to be enough.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ararat-armenia/xlT9cL89/"]Ararat-Armenia[/a] will head to Ireland next week [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ararat-armenia-xlT9cL89/shamrock-rovers-KIN6lmnH/?mid=OQpbl1qK"]with a 2-0 lead[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shamrock-rovers/KIN6lmnH/"]Shamrock Rovers[/a] after a strong showing in Yerevan. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sandro-lima/nPTrzUXq/"]Sandro Lima[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/banjaqui-zidane/QBhRYZM8/"]Zidane Banjaqui[/a] grabbed the goals for the hosts in a key win.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vikingur-reykjavik/hdKpCN4d/"]Vikingur Reykjavik[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/h-beer-sheva-EXAD1YZP/vikingur-reykjavik-hdKpCN4d/?mid=hrrwtKvm"]were 2-1 winners[/a] against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/h-beer-sheva/EXAD1YZP/"]Hapoel Be'er Sheva[/a] thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hansen-nikolaj/0dcIbY7t/"]Nikolaj Hansen[/a]'s brace. The striker got his side's winner in the final few moments to give them the first leg victory.[/p][p]The other three matches in this round are on Wednesday. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/levski-sofia/E5OOzgs4/"]Levski Sofia[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/levski-sofia-E5OOzgs4/univ-craiova-bsd9fGaK/?mid=MgQOEmS8"]face[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/univ-craiova/bsd9fGaK/"]CS Universitatea Craiova[/a] in Bulgaria, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kf-egnatia/CjYs7BO9/"]Egnatia[/a] will hope to create more magic in the competition [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/celje-SpbURe4O/egnatia-CjYs7BO9/?mid=4WWdcAY7"]at home[/a] to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celje/SpbURe4O/"]Celje[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/omonia/GSLWiAPe/"]Omonia Nicosia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kairat-almaty/CrO7xXpJ/"]Kairat Almaty[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kairat-almaty-CrO7xXpJ/omonia-GSLWiAPe/?mid=OhVt1hZr"]square off[/a] in the other clash.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/champions-league/"]Follow the UEFA Champions League qualifiers with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]