Champions League Play-Offs: All Three First Legs End in Draws

The Champions League play-off round got underway on Tuesday, and all three first legs ended level, leaving every tie wide open before the return matches.

In Istanbul, Fenerbahçe and Lyon played out a 1-1 draw. Lois Openda put Lyon ahead with a headed goal, his first for the French club. Fenerbahçe hit back after the break through Mason Greenwood, who scored a fine equaliser to level things up. Neither side could find a winner after that, so the tie is finely poised going into the second leg in France.

Dinamo Zagreb and Viking shared a wild 2-2 draw in Croatia. The hosts raced into a two-goal lead inside the first ten minutes through Dion Beljo and Mateo Lisica. Viking, though, hit back before half-time with goals from Peter Christiansen and Zlatko Tripić to level the score. It is a big result for the Norwegian side, who are playing in the Champions League for the first time in 34 years and are chasing a first-ever spot in the league phase.

In Bulgaria, Levski Sofia and AEK Athens could not be separated either, playing out a goalless 0-0 draw. AEK's Luka Jović came closest to scoring, but his effort came back off the crossbar. Levski goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha also made a couple of key saves to keep the visitors out.

All three second legs are set for next week, with the winners securing a place in the Champions League league phase and the losers dropping into the Europa League play-offs.