European Report:
By Nick Barbaro, 2:36PM, Thu. Aug. 10, 2006
European Champions League, Third Qualifying Round
First Leg results, Aug. 6-7
Most of the favorites came through unscathed in their first tests of the season. A few highlights:
Liverpool waited to the 87th minute before scoring the winner over Israel's Maccabi Haifa at home; for security reasons, that return leg will be played in either Cyprus or Kiev, Ukraine.
Scotland's Hearts of Midlothian suffered a surprising home loss to AEK Athens.
AC Milan edged Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda), 1-0; that return leg in Serbia could be brutal.
Italy's Chievo Verona, elevated into the CL by the three disqualifications ahead of them in Italy, was lifeless in Bulgaria.
Heavily favored Valencia hit a wall in Austria.
Both Ukrainian clubs, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, continued to impress, following up on Ukraine's good showing in WC2006.
Ajax Amsterdam won on the road with a goal in the 84th minute in Copenhagen.
Arsenal looked to be in midseason form in a 3-0 road romp in Croatia.
The return leg games are Aug. 22-23. The 16 winners advance to the Champions League group stage, which will begin Sept. 12.
The full results:
Liverpool 2 - 1 Maccabi Haifa
Hearts 1 - 2 AEK Athens
AC Milan 1 - 0 Red Star Belgrade
Salzburg 1 - 0 Valencia
Standard Liege 2 - 2 Steaua Bucharest
FC Kobenhaven 1 - 2 Ajax Amsterdam
Hamburg 0 - 0 Osasuna
Slovan Liberec 0 - 0 Spartak Moscow
Galatasaray 5 - 2 Mlada Boleslav
Levski Sofia 2 - 0 Chievo Verona
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 Legia
CSKA Moscow 3 - 0 Ruzomberok
Lille 3 - 0 Rabotnicki
Dynamo Kiev 3 - 1 Fenerbahçe
Dinamo Zagreb 0 - 3 Arsenal
Austria Vienna 1 - 1 Benfica
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