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Champions League qualifying explained: Results, how it worked

UEFA Champions League qualifying for the 2022/23 season began on 21 June and concluded on 24 August – how did it work?

Benfica made it through the play-offs
Benfica made it through the play-offs AFP via Getty Images

Six teams have qualified for the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage via qualifying.

UEFA.com explains who was involved, how it worked and how the matches played out.

Who's in the group stage?

Play-offs

Teams involved (12)
Champions path (8): 2 automatic entrants, 6 third qualifying round winners
League path (4)
: 4 third qualifying round winners

Antonio Čolak enjoys his winner for Rangers at PSV
Antonio Čolak enjoys his winner for Rangers at PSVGetty Images

Draw
The play-off round draw was made on Tuesday 2 August.

Aggregate results
Champions path
Qarabağ (AZE) 1-2 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 2-4 Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), aet
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 5-4 Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Copenhagen (DEN) 2-1 Trabzonspor (TUR)

League path
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 0-5 Benfica (POR)
Rangers (SCO) 3-2 PSV Eindhoven (NED)

How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to the group stage draw on Thursday 25 August. If teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.

All losing sides moved into the UEFA Europa League group stage (draw on 26 August).

Third qualifying round

Teams involved (20)
Champions path (12): 2 automatic entrants, 10 second qualifying round winners
League path (8): 6 automatic entrants, 2 second qualifying round winners

Benfica dispatched Midtjylland to reach the play-offs
Benfica dispatched Midtjylland to reach the play-offsRitzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

Draw
The third qualifying round draw was made on Monday 18 July.

Aggregate results
Champions path
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 4-2 Apollon Limassol (CYP)
Qarabağ (AZE) 4-2 Ferencváros (HUN)
Ludogorets (BUL) 3-6 Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Sheriff (MDA) 2-4 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 6-1 Žalgiris (LTU)
Crvena zvezda (SRB) 7-0 Pyunik (ARM)

League path
Monaco (FRA) 3-4 PSV Eindhoven (NED), aet
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 3-1 Sturm Graz (AUT), aet
Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) 2-3 Rangers (SCO)
Benfica (POR) 7-2 Midtjylland (DEN)

How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective path of the play-offs; if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.

Defeated teams in the Champions path transferred to the UEFA Europa League play-off round; League path losers will line up in the Europa League group stage.

Second qualifying round

Teams involved (24)
Champions path (20): 5 automatic entrants, 15 first qualifying round winners
League path (4): 4 automatic entrants

Dynamo Kyiv edged out Fenerbahçe in the second qualifying round
Dynamo Kyiv edged out Fenerbahçe in the second qualifying roundGetty Images

Draw
The second qualifying round draw was made on Wednesday 15 June.

Aggregate results
Champions path
Ferencváros (HUN) 5-3 Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 3-2 Shkupi (MKD)
Qarabağ (AZE) 5-4 Zürich (SUI)
HJK (FIN) 1-7 Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) 
Linfield (NIR) 1-8 Bodø/Glimt (NOR) 
Žalgiris (LTU) 3-0 Malmö (SWE)
Ludogorets (BUL) 4-2 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
Maribor (SVN) 0-1 Sheriff (MDA)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) 5-1 Olympiacos (GRE)
Pyunik (ARM) 4-2 Diddeleng (LUX) 

League path
Midtjylland (DEN) 2-2 AEK Larnaca (CYP), aet (Midtjylland won 4-3 on pens)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) 2-1 Fenerbahçe (TUR)

How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to their respective path of the third qualifying round; if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.

Defeated teams transferred to the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.

First qualifying round

Teams involved (30)
29 automatic entrants
1 preliminary round winner

Shamrock Rovers rejoice after seeing off Hibernians
Shamrock Rovers rejoice after seeing off HiberniansSPORTSFILE

Aggregate results
Sutjeska Nikšić 0-3 Ludogorets Razgrad
Víkingur Reykjavík 5-6 Malmö
Žalgiris 2-1 Ballkani, aet
Hibernians 0-3 Shamrock Rovers
Qarabağ 5-2 Lech Poznań
Lincoln Red Imps 2-3 Shkupi
RFS 2-2 HJK, aet (HJK won 5-4 on pens)
Tirana 1-3 Diddeleng
Sheriff 1-0 Zrinjski
CFR Cluj 2-2 Pyunik, aet (Pyunik won 4-3 on pens)
Linfield 2-1 The New Saints, aet
Ferencváros 5-1 Tobol
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 0-2 Maribor
Dinamo Batumi 1-2 Slovan Bratislava, aet
KÍ 3-4 Bodø/Glimt

How did it work?
Teams played home and away with the aggregate winners progressing to the second qualifying round (Champions path); if teams were level after 180 minutes, extra time and penalties were played. There were no away goals.

Defeated teams transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (Champions path) second qualifying round.

Preliminary round

Teams involved (4)
4 automatic entrants

Results
21 June

La Fiorita (SMR) 1-2 Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)

Levadia Tallinn (EST) 1-6 Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)

24 June
Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) 0-1 Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL)

How did it work?
The winners of the two semi-finals met in the preliminary round final on Friday 24 June; all games were single-leg fixtures. As winners of the preliminary round final, Víkingur Reykjavík progressed to the first qualifying round.

The other three preliminary round teams transferred to the UEFA Europa Conference League (Champions path) second qualifying round.