ISTANBUL, Turkey — José Mourinho and Fenerbahce were left Wednesday with a difficult final test in their quest to return to the Champions League, which looks sure to be heading inside the Arctic Circle next month.
Fenerbahce drew 0-0 at home against Benfica in the first leg of their qualifying playoff, despite the Portuguese team having a player sent off in the 71st minute.
In the north of Norway, Bodo/Glimt’s fairytale rise in European soccer continued with a 5-0 rout of Sturm Graz in their playoff first leg.
Celtic failed to take home advantage in a 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty, which hosts the return game four time zones from Scotland in Kazakhstan next Tuesday.
Basel captain Xherdan Shaqiri scored early with a penalty but the Swiss champion was held 1-1 at home by Copenhagen.
Seven playoffs will be decided with return games on Tuesday and Wednesday next week with the winners completing the 36-team Champions League lineup. The second-leg games include unheralded Pafos of Cyprus holding a 2-1 lead at home against Red Star Belgrade.
The Champions League draw ceremony to find out each team’s eight opponents in the single-standings league format will be made Aug. 28 in Monaco.
Basel’s Xherdan Shaqiri, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring agoal during the UEFA Champions League playoff first leg match between Switzerland’s FC Basel 1893 and Denmark’s F.C. Copenhagen at the St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Credit: AP/Georgios Kefalas
Fenerbahce has not played for 17 years in the main Champions League, that Mourinho won twice: with Inter Milan in 2010 and Porto in 2004.
Mourinho’s team dominated the last 20 minutes of play in Istanbul after Benfica midfielder Florentino was sent off for being shown a second yellow card. A video review confirmed an offside call after Fenerbahce forward Youssef En-Nesyri thought he had scored in the 81st.
