By about 9.30 tonight, both of these teams could be in the Champions League.

Anorthosis are 3-0 up on Olympiakos from the first leg, having administered a similar beating to Rapid Vienna in the previous round. I saw them play Rangers three years ago, and they were very quick going forward but were repeatedly let down by bad finishing. By the looks of things they've rectified the problem. That mad bastard Temuri Ketsbaia is still their manager, but Georgi Kinkladze is long gone. They also have Traianos Dellas, the best centre-half at Euro 2004, and Brazilian winger Savio (ex-Real Madrid) is on the bench.

BATE Borisov need only a draw at home to Levski Sofia to make it, having won 1-0 in Bulgaria two weeks ago. They knocked out Anderlecht before that, again winning the away leg. Them getting through would be the biggest thing to happen to Belarussian football since Dynamo Minsk won the Soviet league in 1983.

Kaunas, conquerors of Rangers, are an outside bet for the CL group stage because they have to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home to Aalborg.

BATE's game kicks off in about ten minutes, if anyone is thinking of following it on Livescore.com. Here's an article about them by Jonathan Wilson.

I really hope that they both make it.

They are unlikely to get more than a couple of points each in the group stages (though Anathosis could do better than that at home), but it will do the competition good to have some new participants.

ursus arctos wrote:

QUOTE:
They are unlikely to get more than a couple of points each in the group stages (though Anathosis could do better than that at home)

unless either of them are drawn against Celtic...

I would have full confidence in Celtic finally breaking their away duck against BATE Borisov. Anderlecht got a 2-2 draw over there, despite being total shite.

Just to make me look stupid, Sosnovskiy has given BATE the lead against Levski Sofia.

Anorthosis Famagusta would be a handful for anyone if their last two results are anything to go by.

I'd be fascinated to see Celtic Nation descend on Borisov.

Woo-hoo! BATE 1-0 up.
Now, Borisov via Minsk would be a decent Euro away.

Unlike its Western European counterparts, Belarus appears to have a genuinely competitive domestic league. It had six different winners in six seasons from 2000-2005, and eight different teams have won it since 1996. Borisov's successful defence of their title last year was the first time anyone had won it twice in a row since Dinamo Minsk's domination ended in 1995.

1-1, and BATE are down to ten men. One more goal will be enough for Levski.

BATE hang on for the draw they needed. Maybe they can do an Artmedia Bratislava and get decent results in the group stage too.

Anorthosis have complained to UEFA about a large mob of Olympiakos supporters attacking their team bus and throwing smoke bombs at them. The club president was apparently punched as well.

Congratulations to BATE! The Belarussians I kepp in touch with are absolutely made up!

I've got an Anorthosis home shirt. Bought it on holiday in Cyprus as a souvenir four years ago, mainly because they were sponsored by KEO, the ubiquitous cypriot lager I'd been drinking all week.

As you were.

QUOTE:
Unlike its Western European counterparts, Belarus appears to have a genuinely competitive domestic league. It had six different winners in six seasons from 2000-2005, and eight different teams have won it since 1996. Borisov's successful defence of their title last year was the first time anyone had won it twice in a row since Dinamo Minsk's domination ended in 1995.

Had.

As Wilson points out towards the end of the article, BATE getting through will horribly distort the finances of that competition. If a budget of $1.5million/year was enough to secure back-to-back titles, one imagines with the extra $10million they will get from this one seasons european compeition, they should dominate for the next five years or more.

Yet another why the CL is crap, even when it doesn't bias towards large western european clubs.

1-0 to Olympiacos. But an hour played.

Slavia need to score soon if they are to turn over Fiorentina (intrigued to know who Ursus wants to win that tie).

Dynamo Kiev have handed Spartak Moscow another 4-1 thrashing. Seriously embarrassing, especially given how much trouble Kiev had with Drogheda United in the previous round.

In the biggest tie of the round, Atletico Madrid are 2-0 up on Schalke, Aguero and Forlan getting the goals. But Schalke only need to pull one back to get through.

Another mild shock -- Steaua Bucharest have knocked out Galatasaray. Fenerbahce have squeezed past Partizan Belgrade, 4-3 on aggregate.

No Champions League for Kaunas, who have lost 2-0 to Aalborg.

Mighty Basel is through, Switzerland rejoices...

Famagusta through. Panathinaikos fans delighted.

Slavia out. Dang.

I didnt realise that Bruce Rioch was the manager of AaB Aalborg.