Champions League exits for three unbeaten title winners
Red Star Belgrade, Rangers and Slavia Prague were eliminated in the Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday in surprise exits for teams that won their domestic titles unbeaten last season.
Red Star lost 1-0 in Moldova against Sheriff to go out 2-1 on aggregate. The 1991 European champion missed the chance to face its longtime former rival Dinamo Zagreb in the playoff round. Dinamo won 1-0 at Legia Warsaw to advance 2-1.
Rangers lost 2-1 at home to Malmö after losing the first leg by the same score in Sweden last week.
Slavia´s 1-0 win at home to Ferencváros failed to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg.
United States forward Jordan Siebatcheu scored twice in the first half to rally Switzerland's Young Boys to a 3-1 win, and 4-2 on aggregate, after conceding early against Cluj.
Former European champions Benfica and PSV Eindhoven will meet in the playoffs in a rematch of the 1988 final after both advanced 4-0 on aggregate against Spartak Moscow and Midtjylland, respectively.
Benfica's Joao Mario, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League third qualifying round, 2nd leg, soccer match between Benfica and Spartak Moskva at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Ludogorets Razgrad, the champion of Bulgaria, beat Olympiakos in a penalty shootout after the teams were tied 3-3 on aggregate. Ludogorets benefited from the abolition of the away-goals rule this season, which would previously have sent Olympiakos through after the 2-2 second-leg draw.
Shakhtar Donetsk won 2-1 in each leg against Genk to earn a playoff against Monaco, the 2004 Champions League beaten finalist. Monaco coasted past Sparta Prague 3-1 at home Tuesday and 5-1 on aggregate.
The Czech Republic and Scotland have seen both its team eliminated before the playoff round that is played over the next two midweeks.
The 32-team group-stage draw will be made Aug. 26 in Istanbul.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Benfica's Joao Mario, center, scores his side's opening goal during the Champions League third qualifying round, 2nd leg, soccer match between Benfica and Spartak Moskva at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Benfica fans support their team before the Champions League third qualifying round, 2nd leg, soccer match between Benfica and Spartak Moskva at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Benfica fans support their team before the Champions League third qualifying round, 2nd leg, soccer match between Benfica and Spartak Moskva at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Shakhtar's Lassina Traore, from left, Shakhtar's Yevhen Konoplyanka and Shakhtar's Tete celebrate after scoring their side's second goal during the third qualifying round, second leg, Champions League, soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Genk of Belgium at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
PSV Eindhoven's goalkeeper Joel Drommel makes a save from FC Midtjylland during the Champions League qualifier between FC Midtjylland and PSV Eindhoven at MCH Arena in Herning, Denmark, Tuesday Aug. 10, 2021.(Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
