Greg . 12 hours ago

Champions League qualifying: FCSB survive scare in Andorra, Hamrun Spartans win shootout

The UEFA Champions League first qualifying round return legs started on Tuesday, as 12 sides saw their journey in the competition come to a close.

That nearly terminated up being the case for former winners FCSB.

The Romanians were made to sweat in their decider in Andorra versus Inter Club d'Escaldes.

After Risto Radunovic put the visitors up 4-1 on aggregate, the Andorrans came roaring support in the final quarter of the game.

Sascha Andreu offered his side some life in the 67th minute as he tied the score on the night.

Just before the terminate of normal time, Alexandre Llovet made it 4-3 overall with a close-range complete.

Unfortunately for Inter, despite the 2-1 win at home, they lost out on aggregate and now drop to the UEFA Conference League second round of qualifying.

All but two of this round's ties contained at least one side who have participated in a European group stage before.

 Drita, who prevailed 4-2 on aggregate against Luxembourg's Differdange 03, are one of the exceptions.

The other such tie saw KuPS grip off Milsami Orhei on the road to win 1-0 across the two legs.

Olimpija Ljubljana and The New Saints, who reached the Conference League proper last term, were removed in what were disappointing results for both.

The Slovenians conceded twice in the first half away to Kairat Almaty to drop 3-1 overall.

As for TNS, Jack Bodenham's own goal four minutes from the terminate of extra time did them in versus North Macedonia's Shkendija, who won 2-1 on the night and on aggregate.

Malta's hopes of a maiden European group phase representative expanded considerably after Hamrun Spartans, who have won the last three league titles, overcame a 2-0 first leg beat to Zalgiris by scoring twice in six first half minutes.

They then outlasted their Lithuanian opponents 11-10 on penalties after 14 rounds.

It was the first time they progressed from a UCL tie, at the seventh time of asking.

Elsewhere, Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps successfully negotiated their two-legged meeting with Faroese outfit Vikingur Gota.

Tjay De Barr netted the winner in stoppage time as they terminated winning both legs, 4-2 overall.

They confront former European Cup winners Crvena zvezda next.

Vikingur will join San Marino's Virtus in the third qualifying round of the Conference League's domestic champions path - a section dedicated to league champions who are removed in Champions League or Europa League qualifying.

The latter dropped 2-1 versus Zrinjski, and 4-1 over the two legs.

Other scores from Tuesday contain Malmo getting past Iberia 1999 3-1 for the second straight week, while Breidablik overcame Egnatia with an emphatic 5-0 home win to progress 5-1 on aggregate.

RFS came out on top in the all-Baltic clash with another 1-0 beat of Levadia Tallinn, and FC Noah gripped off Buducnost despite a 2-2 sketch in Montenegro.

The Armenians, who are close to a second straight league phase showing, won 3-2 overall.

Wednesday will conclude the round as Linfield host Shelbourne in the all-Irish clash.

The latter lead 1-0 after last week's opening match.

Ludogorets also grip a narrow 1-0 advantage versus Dinamo Minsk as the sides meet in Hungary.

Pursue all of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers on Betopick.