Features

European qualifying shocks

Author: Rose Young
Date: 29/07/2010
Football betting

Liverpool are in action in the third qualifying round of the Europa League on Thursday night, but Steven Gerrard and company should beware the European minnows that stand in their way.

FK Rabotnicki might be little known to Reds fans, but the history books are full of shocks in the qualifying rounds of major European club competitions.

Liverpool are sportsbook favourites to win the competition outright but the Macedonian side will certainly be a banana skin that needs to be avoided.

Helsingborgs 1-0 Internazionale (2000/01).

An Inter side boasting Brazil star Ronaldo and £13million summer signing Robbie Keane crashed out of the Champions League at the third qualifying round stage to Helsingborgs of Sweden.

Marcello Lippi's side lost 1-0 in Scandinavia before a goalless return leg in Italy sealed their shock fate.

Alvaro Recoba missed a last-minute penalty to earn Inter a reprieve and Lippi was sacked just one game into the ensuing Serie A season.

Artmedia Bratislava 5-0 Celtic (2005/2006).

Celtic arrived in Slovakia to play the recently crowned domestic champions but were still expected to reach the group stages of the Champions League with ease.

However, manager Gordon Strachan watched on with horror as his "worst night in football" unfolded with four goals in the second half from the unheralded home side.

The Hoops won the second leg of the third qualifying round tie 4-0 at Parkhead but it was not enough to overturn the deficit as the 1967 European champions crashed out.

Who will win this season's Europa League? - Latest Football Betting

Villarreal 2-1 Everton (2005/2006).

Qualifying for the 2005/06 Champions League proved a poisoned chalice for British clubs after Everton went the same way as Celtic.

Perhaps losing to La Liga high-flyers Villarreal in the third qualifying round was no real surprise, but David Moyes' side had been expected to reach the group stages at least after they pipping city rivals Liverpool to the final qualifying place during an impressive Premier League season.

The Toffees lost 2-1 both home and away in their first and only experience of Europe's premier club competition.

FC Santa Coloma 1-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2007/08).

The whole of Andorra rejoiced when FC Santa Coloma shocked the Israeli side 1-0 in the first leg of a first qualifying round tie in June 2007.

Their only previous experience of European club competition was a 9-1 aggregate drubbing at the hands of Danish side Esbjerg the previous season.

Maccabi hit back to win the second leg 4-0 and progress, but it was still a red letter day for the tiny principality.

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