Three decisive second legs take center stage Tuesday as clubs fight for a place in the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League league phase. Celtic travel to Austria with a commanding lead, Bodø/Glimt host NEC Nijmegen needing only a solid finish to seal progression, and Sabah face a genuine uphill climb against Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Baku. With the losers dropping into the Europa League, every one of these matches carries real weight.
GettyAzerbaijani side Sabah looking to make Champions league history tonight.
Sabah Need a Comeback in Baku to Keep Their Champions League Dream Alive
Sabah have a real fight on their hands after Hapoel Be’er Sheva came from behind to win the first leg 2-1 in neutral Bucharest, with Veljko Simić’s early header eventually overturned by second-half goals from Javon East and Igor Zlatanović. A one-goal aggregate deficit at home is the kind of gap Sabah have overturned before in continental play, and their record at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium gives them license to push from the first whistle rather than sit back and play the percentages. Hapoel have already shown that they can absorb pressure and strike when it counts — expect them to lean on that same composure again.
Prediction: Sabah 2-1 Hapoel Be’er Sheva (3-3 on aggregate, Sabah advance in extra time or on penalties)
Celtic Carry a Commanding Lead Into Linz Against a Wounded LASK
Celtic head into this one about as comfortable as a team can be in a two-legged tie. Camilo Durán scored twice and Benjamin Nygren added another in a 3-0 first-leg win at Celtic Park, a result that leaves LASK needing something close to a miracle at Raiffeisen Arena. Expect LASK to throw numbers forward from the first whistle, which should open up space for Celtic to hurt them on the break. The tie already looks decided, but don’t expect either side to hold much back. For those looking for a wager, the ‘OVER’ looks like the play.
Prediction: LASK 2-2 Celtic (5-2 on aggregate, Celtic advance)
Bodø/Glimt Look to Finish the Job at Home Against NEC Nijmegen
Bodø/Glimt are firmly in control after a comfortable 3-1 win away in the Netherlands put them well clear of NEC heading into the return leg at Aspmyra Stadion. NEC will have no choice but to attack from the opening whistle in search of an unlikely aggregate turnaround, and that kind of desperation tends to leave gaps for a team as sharp on the counter as Bodø/Glimt. Expect goals at both ends in an open, entertaining night in Norway, with the hosts comfortably seeing the job through.
Prediction: Bodø/Glimt 3-1 NEC Nijmegen (6-2 on aggregate, Bodø/Glimt advance)
Tonight’s three results, combined with Wednesday’s remaining play-off second legs, will settle the final seven spots in the 2026-27 Champions League league phase. UEFA holds the draw on Thursday, August 27, in Nyon — the moment every one of the 36 clubs finds out exactly what kind of European campaign they’re walking into.
Champions League Play-Off Second Legs: Tuesday, Aug. 25 Preview and Predictions