One more step until the league phase - UEFA Champions League Play-Off Round return leg 27/28 August 2024

The UEFA Champions League qualifiers are going down the final straight and seven teams will join the 29 clubs that are already in the main draw for the league phase. While some of the ties have already gone quite clearly in one team's direction, some others are still wide open after the first leg matches on 20 and 21 August. The games on 27 and 28 August will provide some prime action and surely some interesting charter flights too.

27 August 2024

Sparta Prague vs. Malmö FF 

21.00h, Stadion Letna, Prague

(first leg 2-0)

The Czech champions Sparta will take a handy lead into their home game against the Swedish champions. They could qualify for the main event for the first time in 19 years as long as they will not lose by more than one goal. Malmö travel in rather discrete style, using a Saab 2000 of Frost Air for the trip to Prague.

FRO040 MMX 1100-1225 PRG SB20 OY-FSC (26/08/24)

FRO041 PRG 1200-xxxx MMX SB20 (28/08/24)

FC Salzburg vs. Dynamo Kyiv

21.00h, Red Bull Arena, Salzburg

(first leg 2-0)

Once again, Dynamo Kyiv will arrive from their exile in Poland for the away game in Salzburg. Interestingly, there were two flights planned for this trip, one on what is supposed to be FlyOne's sole Boeing 737-800 UR-PSF and the other one on an Enter Air Boeing 737-800. Equally interesting is the return trip to Kishinev. On the sports side, Salzburg will start with a two-goal lead in the tie - enough to take them to the Champions League league phase?

ENT588 LUZ xxxx-1510 SZG B738 (25/08/24)

ENT589P SZG 1600-xxxx GRX B738 (25/08/24, ferry flight)

7W7737 LUZ 1835-2015 SZG B738 UR-PSF (25/08/24)

7W7738 SZG 2100-xxxx RMO B738 UR-PSF (25/08/24, ferry flight)

7W7737 RMO xxxx-0910 SZG B738 (28/08/24, ferry flight)

ENT589P POZ xxxx-0930 SZG B738 (28/08/24, ferry flight)

7W7738 SZG 1010-xxxx RMO B738 (28/08/24)

ENT590 SZG 1030-xxxx RMO B738 (28/08/24)

Galatasaray Istanbul vs. BSC Young Boys

21.00h CET (22.00h local time), Rams Park ("Ali Sami Yen"), Istanbul

(first leg 2-3)

The first leg of this champions path tie was an up and down for both side. Joel Monteiro scored two goals in the first half for YB. Michi Batshuayi followed this up by two goals as a substitute in the second half. The Swiss champions then took a late lead from a Filip Ugrinic penalty. Interestingly for this long trip, Young Boys are using a propeller plane in Avanti Air's Dash 8-Q400.

ATV025H GRZ 1740-1905 BRN DH8D D-AASH (25/08/24, ferry flight)

ATV261H BRN 0900-1340 IST DH8D D-AASH (26/08/24)

D-AASH, Avanti Air Dash 8-Q400, seen at London-Gatwick in May 2024

28 August 2024

Red Star Belgrade vs. Bodø/Glimt

21.00h, Rajko Mitic Stadium ("Marakana"), Belgrade

(first leg 1-2)

After some exciting ventures in UEFA's other two club competitions, Bodø/Glimt are on the verge of making Norwegian football history. They could be the next club from this Nordic country to qualify for the main event in the UEFA Champions League if they manage to defend their 2-1 lead successfully in Belgrade. The team will travel South one day earlier than usual, flying out with Global Reach Aviation and their CRJ-900 OY-MIT.

GAV325 BOO 1500-xxxx BEG CRJ9 OY-MIT (26/08/24)

GAV325 BEG xxxx-1840 BOO CRJ9 OY-MIT (29/08/24)

Slavia Prague vs. Lille OSC

21.00h, Eden Arena, Prague

(first leg 0-2)

In a league path clash, LOSC beat Slavia Prague 2-0 in the first leg. This lead should come in handy for the return leg. But with no away goals rule these days, even two goals' deficit are not that much to overcome actually. So, Slavia are still in with a chance - and they play at home in the second leg. LOSC's charter flight shows up with an AirExplore flight number, but should actually be operated by KlasJet and one of their Boeing 737-500 aircraft.

AXE8131 LIL xxxx-1815 PRG B735 LY-KLT (27/08/24)

AXE8132 PRG 0000-xxxx LIL B735 LY-KLT (29/08/24)

Qarabag Agdam vs. Dinamo Zagreb

18.45h CET (20.45h local time), Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku

(first leg 0-3)

Three goals up from the first leg, Dinamo Zagreb have a healthy lead to defend in Azerbaijan against Qarabag. The journey down there is a long one though and the Croatian champions depart one day early, on Monday with Croatia Airlines to Baku.

OU9520 ZAG 1410-2005 GYD A319 9A-CTG (26/08/24)

OU9521 GYD 2055-2255 ZAG A319 9A-CTG (26/08/24, ferry flight)

Slovan Bratislava vs. FC Midtjylland

21.00h, Narodny Futbalovy Stadion, Bratislava

(first leg 1-1)

90 or even 120 minutes await these two teams who are tied at one goal apiece after the first leg. The champions of Denmark can count on some supporters who will even fly down to Slovakia on a charter flight on the match day itself - rather unusual for a qualifier game.

ZQ1999 BLL 1225-1420 BTS E190 (27/08/24)

AP1235 BLL 1020-1215 BTS B738 (28/08/24)

Why the Greeks travel on Sunday already - UEFA Champions League Qualifiers R3 first leg

6 August 2024

Malmö FF vs. PAOK Saloniki

It is some way from Greece to Sweden. And PAOK Saloniki will want to be best prepared for the clash against the Swedish champions from Malmö. While PAOK won both games against Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka, Malmö FF had a slip-up in their away game on the Faroe Islands against KI Klaksvik. The bookies have Malmö as favourites, although a draw or even an away win for PAOK can not be ruled out at all. PAOK traveled early, on Sunday, using an Aegean Airlines Airbus A320.

AEE6190 ATH 1615-1705 SKG A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AEE4190 SKG 1800-1935 MMX A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24)

AEE6191 MMX 2045-0030(+1) ATH A320 SX-DVS (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AEE4191 MMX 2330-xxxx(+1) SKG A320 (06/08/24)

FK Qarabag Agdam vs. Ludogorets Razgrad

Another team to travel quite far is Ludogorets Razgrad. The champions from Bulgaria will meet their counterpart from Azerbaijan in Baku and as you might know, Qarabag are far from easy to beat at all. For the long trip to the East, Ludogorets will use an Embraer EMB-145 of Amelia Aviation which will get pushed to its range limits on this trip. The plane made its way from St-Brieuc in France to Varna on Sunday evening already.

AIA261F SBK 1530-2050 VAR E145 F-HGYM (04/08/24, ferry flight)

AIA261 VAR 0930-1255 GYD E145 F-HGYM (05/08/24)

AIA262 GYD xxxx-0235 VAR E145 F-HGYM (07/07/24)

Sparta Prague vs. FCSB

It is not very far from Bucharest to Prague and vice-versa. And FCSB even uses a Czech company for its travels to Prague for the first leg in this tie. Having overcome Maccabi Tel Aviv in the previous round, FCSB will need to be on top of their game to beat the Czech champions. Sparta had it quite a bit easier in their tie against Shamrock Rovers from Ireland, recording two clear wins away and at home in Prague. 

QS430P PRG 0600-0855 OTP B737 OK-SWW (05/08/24, ferry flight)

QS4309 OTP 1000-1055 PRG B737 OK-SWW (05/08/24)

QS4310 PRG 0050-xxxx OTP B737 (07/08/24)

FC Midtjylland vs. Ferencvaros

Both teams in this tie had easy opposition in the second round. Ferencvaros scored seven goals over two legs against New Saints from Wales while Midtjylland came up with four scores against Andorra's finest Santa Coloma. A German Airways Embraer EMB-190 will be the transport for Hungarian champions Ferencvaros from Budapest to Karup.

ZQ1899 BUD 1100-1300 KRP E190 D-AMWO (05/08/24)

Dynamo Kyiv vs. Glasgow Rangers

In the league path, Rangers will travel to Poland, where Dynamo Kyiv still have their playing home base this season. Rangers enter the competition in this round while Dynamo had two big wins over Partizan Belgrade in the previous round already. A Boeing 737-700 in special configuration operated by 2Excel Aviation will be at Rangers' disposal for the flight to Lublin.

BRO976A GLA 1500-1830 LUZ B737 G-NEWG (05/08/24)

BRO976B LUZ 2355-0135(+1) GLA B737 G-NEWG (06/08/24)

Lille OSC vs. Fenerbahçe Istanbul

It is a flight with Turkish Airlines from Sabiha Gökçen to Lille for Fenerbahçe. The game will take place in Valenciennes due to the Paris 2024 Olympics that also take place in Lille's Stade Pierre Mauroy. For the trip, a Boeing 737-800 will be ferried from Istanbul International on the European side of Istanbul across the Bosporus to Sabiha Gökçen on the Asian side.

TK3306 IST 1200-1230 SAW B738 TC-JHO (05/08/24, ferry flight)

TK3307 SAW 1355-1625 LIL B738 TC-JHO (05/08/24) 

FC Salzburg vs. Twente Enschede

Another league path tie sees Salzburg facing Twente from the Netherlands. Both sides join the competition at this stage, although the Austrian runners-up are probably favourites for the berth in the play-offs. Twente will board a CRJ-900 of Global Reach Aviation at Enschede that will take them to Salzburg in just over an hour's flight time.

GAV312 BLL 0845-0945 ENS CRJ OY-MIT (05/08/24, ferry flt)

GAV312 ENS 1100-1215 SZG CRJ9 OY-MIT (05/08/24)

GAV312 SZG 1400-1515 FMO CRJ OY-MIT (07/08/24)

CRJ-900 OY-MIT of Global Reach Aviation

seen at Helsinki-Vantaa in July 2024

7 August 2024

Jagiellonia Bialystok vs. Bodø/Glimt

Once again Bodø/Glimt are representing Norway in the UCL qualifiers. For their third round tie, they will have to travel away to Poland, first to Modlin and then on land to Bialystok. As is quite usual for the Norwegian team, they will use a rather small aircraft in Embraer EMB-145 PH-DWA of Air Charters Europe.

AGR1007 BOO 1500-1745 WMI E145 PH-DWA (05/08/24)

AGR7 WMI 1845-2055 ANR E145 PH-DWA (05/08/24, ferry flight)

Slavia Prague vs. Union St-Gilloise

For only the second time in their history, USG have qualified for the UEFA Champions League. The 3rd round qualifier will initially take them to Prague where they will face Slavia at Fortuna Arena. Brussels Airlines will be responsible for the flight, using one of their Airbus A319 aircraft.

SN1175 BRU 1410-1540 PRG A319 OO-SSS (06/08/24)

SN1176 PRG 2350-0120(+1) BRU A319 OO-SSF (07/08/24)

Slovan Bratislava vs. APOEL Nicosia

The champions from Cyprus and Slovakia will continue their quest for Champions League tickets of the group stage variety. APOEL comes off a tight encounter with Petrocub from Moldova, while Slovan had it easier against Slovenian champions Celje in the second leg at least. For their trip West, APOEL will use an Airbus A321 of Fly One from Romania.

OE4018 LCA 1000-1220 BTS A321 (06/08/24)