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These Covid times continue to throw up weird and wonderful scenarios.
The 2020/21 edition of Europe’s premier club competition, the Champions League, got under way in Nyon, Switzerland this afternoon, before Barcelona and Bayern Munich had confirmed their places in the quarter-finals of the 2019/20 edition.
Northern Ireland league champions, Linfield secured their place in Tuesday’s preliminary round final by defeating Tre Fiori (Three Flowers) the champion club of San Marino, 2-0. A pair of Frenchmen proved match-winners for the Irish in Bastien Hery and Christy Manzinga, a recent signing from Scottish Premier League side, Motherwell.
Linfield will meet Kosovo’s Drita, winners of the preliminary round final last season, who defeated Inter d’Escaldes of Andorra 2-1 in today’s other semi-final.
The winner of Tuesday’s final could face one of three clubs in Qualifying Round 1: Celtic (Scotland), Legia Warsaw (Poland) or Ferencvaros (Hungary).
The draw is tomorrow, 9 August. Qualifying Round 1 will be a single match, not the customary two-legged tie. The team drawn out first will enjoy home advantage.
All UEFA Champions League games are behind closed doors.
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