PARIS: Filip Ugrinic’s late penalty gave Young Boys a 3-2 first-leg win over Galatasaray in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday.

Swiss champions Young Boys led 2-0 through Joel Monteiro’s double, but Galatasaray hit back with two goals from Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi.

But Young Boys, bidding to reach the group stage for a third time in four seasons, secured a slender lead to take into next Tuesday’s return match thanks to Ugrinic’s 86th-minute spot-kick.

Salzburg, targeting a sixth successive group-stage campaign, claimed a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in Polish city Lublin.

Sparta Prague also took control of their tie with a 2-0 away victory at Malmo, while Midtylland and Slovan Bratislava played out a 1-1 draw in Denmark.

This season will be the first Champions League edition with its new 36-team format.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024