A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Tuesday:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Two-time European champion Benfica seeks to avoid missing out on the group stage of the Champions League for a second straight season. Benfica has a 2-1 lead from the first leg of its playoff with PSV Eindhoven ahead of the return game in the Netherlands. Ferencváros, which played Barcelona and Juventus in its first group-stage campaign for 25 years last season, hosts Young Boys. The Hungarian side trails 3-2 from the first leg in Switzerland. Malmö, the 1979 European Cup runner-up, has a 2-0 lead before facing Ludogorets in Bulgaria. Three more playoffs are completed Wednesday before the draw for the 32-team group stage takes place Thursday in Istanbul.
ENGLAND
The English League Cup heads into its second round and welcomes Premier League clubs who aren’t in European competition. There’s one all-Premier League matchup — Watford vs. Crystal Palace — and fourth-tier Barrow, one of the lowest-ranked teams still in the draw, hosts Aston Villa. Brentford also takes on a team from the fourth tier, Forest Green Rovers. Everton, Wolverhampton and Brighton are away to second-tier clubs Huddersfield, Nottingham Forest and Cardiff, respectively. Premier League teams typically field fringe players at this stage of the competition.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
