Ajax, Young Boys, AEK lock up Champions League spots

The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Greece have each secured a representative in this season's Champions League.Ajax, Young Boys, and AEK Athens emerged as aggregate victors in their respective playoff ties over Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Zagreb, and…

28.08.2018 20:57

The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Greece have each secured a representative in this season's Champions League.

Ajax, Young Boys, and AEK Athens emerged as aggregate victors in their respective playoff ties over Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Zagreb, and Vidi on Tuesday.

Ajax, the runners-up in last season's Eredivisie behind PSV Eindhoven, could only muster a goalless draw in Ukraine against Dynamo Kyiv, but their 3-1 victory in the first leg was enough to guide them into the group stage for the first time since the 2014-15 season. They could yet be joined by PSV in Europe's premier club competition if the Dutch champions maintain their slim first-leg lead over BATE Borisov on Wednesday.

After drawing 1-1 with Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb at home last week, Young Boys, winners of the Swiss Super League last season, punched their Champions League ticket courtesy of two goals in two minutes from Guillaume Hoarau, giving them a 2-1 second-leg win in Zagreb. It will be the first time YB have ever appeared in the Champions League group stage.

AEK Athens, meanwhile, will feature in the competition's group stage for the first time in 12 years after defeating Hungarian outfit Vidi 3-2 on aggregate.

The final three Champions League berths will be confirmed Wednesday, with PSV facing BATE Borisov (3-2 agg.), PAOK hosting Benfica (1-1 agg.), and Red Star Belgrade visiting Red Bull Salzburg (0-0 agg.).

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