(1st Leg - 2nd Qualification UCL 2010-2011)

1st Leg - 2nd Qualification
UEFA Champions League 2010-2011

Birkirkara are stars against Žilina

As if Birkirkara FC were not in cheery enough mood after their third Maltese title last season, on Tuesday night they produced one of the finest European results the Mediterranean island has known.

A week ago at the Centenary Stadium, Birkirkara booked a second qualifying round place with a 4-3 victory over Andorra's FC Santa Coloma to complete a 7-3 aggregate win. Now they have given themselves every chance of becoming the first Maltese side to advance through more than one two-legged tie in the same competition after beating Slovakian champions MŠK Žilina 1-0 at the same venue. Nikola Vukanac's first-minute goal proved decisive and the defender believes success in next Wednesday's return game is possible.

"You have to believe in what you want to achieve," he told UEFA.com. "Believing is my philosophy. That is why I believe we can make it in the return match in Zilina. MSK Žilina are a more famous club than we are, but if we concentrate as we did last night I do not see why we cannot progress to the next round of this massive UEFA Champions League competition. Anything can happen in football."

Coach Paul Zammit, who on his previous appearance in this competition two years ago saw his Valletta FC team narrowly defeated in both first qualifying round matches against another Slovakian side, FC Artmedia Petržalka, explained how the Stripes had achieved their triumph. "I knew the strength of our opponents," he said, "but my philosophy has always been that it is useless to keep repeating that we Maltese come from a small country – you just have to pull yourself together in the most professional manner and see what you can achieve. My team showed all this against Žilina. It was a show of discipline and a massive collective effort. For this I thank all my players and must say how proud I am having them around."

Zammit's men managed to win despite the absence of sick defender Thomas Paris, unavailable forward Rowen Muscat and fellow striker Trevor Cilia, who fractured a wrist against Santa Coloma. Turning his attentions to the second leg, Zammit added: "Everyone knows the uphill task we now face in Zilina. It will be tough, but the belief I have seen in my players makes me confident of another good showing in Slovakia."

13 July 2010

Inter Baku 0 - 1 Lech Poznan

Match statistics

İnter Bakı		Lech
0	Goals scored	1
4	Attempts on target	5
5	Attempts wide	5
3	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
19	Fouls committed	12
1	Corners	5

Liepājas Metalurgs 0 - 3 Sparta Praha

Match statistics

Liepājas Metalurgs		Sparta Praha
0	Goals scored	3
4	Attempts on target	8
8	Attempts wide	12
2	Yellow cards	0
0	Red cards	0
20	Fouls committed	12
3	Corners	8

Levadia 1 - 1 Debreceni VSC

Match statistics

Levadia		Debrecen
1	Goals scored	1
5	Attempts on target	6
7	Attempts wide	3
1	Yellow cards	3
0	Red cards	0
14	Fouls committed	15
1	Corners	4

Salzburg 5 - 0 HB

Match statistics

Salzburg		HB
5	Goals scored	0
11	Attempts on target	2
15	Attempts wide	1
1	Yellow cards	0
0	Red cards	0
11	Fouls committed	6
9	Corners	0

Birkirkara 1 - 0 Žilina

Birkirkara		Žilina
1	Goals scored	0
3	Attempts on target	14
1	Attempts wide	12
5	Yellow cards	4
0	Red cards	0
8	Fouls committed	19
0	Corners	3

Omonia Nicosia 3 - 0 Renova

Match statistics

Omonia		Renova
3	Goals scored	0
10	Attempts on target	1
8	Attempts wide	1
1	Yellow cards	4
0	Red cards	1
14	Fouls committed	9
16	Corners	1

AIK 1 - 0 Jeunesse d'Esch

Match statistics

AIK		Jeunesse Esch
1	Goals scored	0
3	Attempts on target	0
4	Attempts wide	1
0	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
19	Fouls committed	10
4	Corners	3

Lovech 1 - 0 Rudar

Match statistics

Litex		Rudar
1	Goals scored	0
11	Attempts on target	2
8	Attempts wide	2
0	Yellow cards	5
0	Red cards	1
10	Fouls committed	22
4	Corners	5

Hapoel Tel Aviv 5 - 0 Željeznicar

Match statistics

H. Tel-Aviv		Željezničar
5	Goals scored	0
11	Attempts on target	1
7	Attempts wide	0
0	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
8	Fouls committed	11
10	Corners	2

Dinamo Zagreb 5 - 1 Koper

Match statistics

Dinamo Zagreb		Koper
5	Goals scored	1
10	Attempts on target	5
11	Attempts wide	3
4	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
13	Fouls committed	16
6	Corners	2

Bohemians 1 - 0 The New Saints

Match statistics

Bohemians		TNS
1	Goals scored	0
5	Attempts on target	0
8	Attempts wide	6
2	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
6	Fouls committed	8
6	Corners	1

Ramūnas Radavičius celebrates in style after scoring the only goal of the game ©Artūras Gimžauskas/sportas.info

Ekranas edge ahead of HJK

FK Ekranas 1-0 HJK Helsinki
Ramūnas Radavičius scored the only goal at a sodden Aukštaitija Stadium as the hosts earned a slender lead ahead of next week's return.

14 July 2010

Aktobe 2 - 0 Olimpi Rustavi

Match statistics

Aktobe		Olimpi Rustavi
2	Goals scored	0
4	Attempts on target	5
6	Attempts wide	3
0	Yellow cards	0
0	Red cards	0
17	Fouls committed	14
2	Corners	2

BATE 5 - 1 FH

Match statistics

BATE		FH
5	Goals scored	1
10	Attempts on target	4
5	Attempts wide	5
3	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
7	Fouls committed	17
6	Corners	2

Ekranas 1 - 0 HJK

Match statistics

Ekranas		HJK
1	Goals scored	0
4	Attempts on target	10
8	Attempts wide	9
5	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
15	Fouls committed	13
3	Corners	3

Sheriff 3 - 1 Dinamo Tirana

Match statistics

Sheriff		Dinamo Tirana
3	Goals scored	1
8	Attempts on target	3
8	Attempts wide	1
2	Yellow cards	3
0	Red cards	1
14	Fouls committed	18
11	Corners	5

Partizan 3 - 1 Pyunik

Match statistics

Partizan		Pyunik
3	Goals scored	1
5	Attempts on target	3
7	Attempts wide	4
1	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
11	Fouls committed	17
5	Corners	3

Linfield 0 - 0 Rosenborg

Match statistics

Linfield		Rosenborg
0	Goals scored	0
0	Attempts on target	5
3	Attempts wide	3
1	Yellow cards	2
0	Red cards	0
7	Fouls committed	16
6	Corners	5