Football: Red Star, Benfica and FC Bruges, away winners in the third qualifying round of the Champions League…..

Football: Red Star, Benfica and FC Bruges, away winners in the third qualifying round of the Champions League…..

 

Red Star Belgrade, Benfica, and Club Brugge secured impressive away victories in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, taking significant steps toward the play-off stage.

 

Red Star Belgrade delivered a dominant performance, defeating Slovan Bratislava 2-0 in Slovakia. The Serbian champions controlled possession and created numerous chances, with goals from Jean-Philippe Krasso and Osman Bukari putting them in a commanding position ahead of the return leg in Belgrade.

 

Meanwhile, Portuguese giants Benfica proved too strong for Swiss side Young Boys, earning a solid 3-1 victory in Bern. Ángel Di María rolled back the years with a goal and an assist, while Rafa Silva and João Mário also got on the scoresheet. Despite conceding once, Benfica’s attacking quality stood out and they return to Lisbon with a clear advantage.

 

Club Brugge also impressed on their travels, securing a narrow but crucial 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa. The Belgian side defended resolutely and grabbed the winner through Ferran Jutglà in the second half.

 

With these results, all three clubs put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the final play-off round, where the dream of reaching the Champions League group stage gets ever closer.