Two-time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho is going through one other third qualifying spherical exit within the competitors after shedding to a 91st-minute aim on the identical stage for the second successive season.
Former Manchester United mortgage signing Sofyan Amrabat regarded to have earned Mourinho’s Fenerbahce a 1-1 draw at Feyenoord with an emphatic 86th-minute strike, just for Anis Hadj-Moussa’s deft added-time header to present Robin van Persie’s group victory.
In Mourinho’s first marketing campaign in cost in 2024/25, the Turkish membership equalised late however misplaced 2-1 at Lille within the 91st minute of the primary leg earlier than going out 3-2 on mixture after further time of their house sport, though they reached the Europa League final 16.
Minute 90+1….
ANIS HADJ MOUSSAAAAAA! 🤯#feyfen 2-1 pic.twitter.com/f2tXulinFs
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) August 6, 2025
Feyenoord vs Fenerbahce: Champions League drama
Feyenoord had an early penalty overturned following a Video Assistant Referee overview earlier than Netherlands midfielder Quinten Timber opened the scoring within the nineteenth minute at De Kuip, spinning contained in the penalty space for a shot that deflected in by way of visiting defender Mert Muldur.
Irfan Can Kahveci had a header dominated out for offside for Fenerbache within the forty first minute, with the return leg in Istanbul on Tuesday (20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
Scenes 🫨🤳#feyfen 1-0 pic.twitter.com/Q4IJZ8HIO5
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) August 6, 2025
Mourinho had described the tie as “50-50” and “a very good problem” beforehand. “The hole between the 2 matches is lower than every week, so I see the probabilities as even,” added the Portuguese.
“I don’t see us because the favourites, however I additionally don’t see them as higher than us.”
Mourinho praises Van Perside
Two-time Premier League prime scorer Van Persie had two spells with Feyenoord both aspect of eight years with Arsenal, three with Manchester United and three with Fenerbahce, though the 2012/13 English champion with United was by no means managed by Mourinho.
“Robin was a implausible striker,” mentioned Mourinho. “We spent a few years within the Premier League. I do know him higher than most individuals.”
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Now 42, Van Persie began his managerial profession at Heerenveen at first of final season and joined Feyenoord in February, the place his assistants embody Rene Hake, who was briefly an assistant to Erik ten Hag earlier than the Dutchman was sacked by United final October.
“He’s a younger, new-generation supervisor,” Mourinho mentioned of the previous Netherlands worldwide. “Now veteran gamers need to change into managers and are making ready for that.
“Robin… is at an enormous membership and right here to indicate his potential. I hope he succeeds. I want him success for the remainder of the season.”
Champions League third qualifying spherical outcomes
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Membership Brugge scored the one aim of their first leg at Salzburg by means of Romeo Vermant’s 74th-minute strike.
Dastan Satpaev, who will be a part of Chelsea in 2026, transformed a Ninetieth-minute penalty as Kairat gained 1-0 at house to 10-player Slovan Bratislava, whereas Ludogorets drew 0-0 at house to Ferencvaros.
Crvena zvezda secured the biggest win of the night time, beating Lech Poznan 3-1 away by means of two objectives from Rade Krunic and one other by Bruno Duarte, Mikael Ishak drawing the Polish aspect degree for quarter-hour.
Benfica are heading in the right direction to satisfy Feyenoord or Fenerbahce within the play-offs – the ultimate two-legged tie to qualify for the league section – after profitable 2-0 at Good by means of second-half objectives by Franjo Ivanovic and Florentino Luis.
When are the Champions League play-offs?
The first legs of the play-offs happen on August 19 and 20, with the return matches every week later.
Feyenoord or Fenerbahce will probably be at house to Good or Benfica on August 20, with the second leg on August 27 (each video games 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT).
When is the Champions League league section draw?
The draw will happen on Thursday, August 28 – a day after the play-off ties come to a near determine the final groups to qualify.
Timings for the draw have been but to be confirmed at first of August.
Champions League format
In a change from the earlier group stage format carried out till 2023/24, every group now performs eight matches within the league section, all in opposition to completely different opponents.
4 of these matches will probably be at house and 4 away, with the opponents decided in accordance with 4 seeding pots break up by rankings.
Groups will play two opponents from every of these pots – one in opposition to a group from every pot at house and one away. The outcomes determine the general standings in a single league.
The highest eight sides within the desk qualify robotically for the spherical of 16. The groups ending in ninth to twenty fourth will compete in a two-legged knockout section play-off to succeed in the final 16.
Groups ending twenty fifth or decrease are out of Europe for the season.
Champions League schedule, fixtures 2025/26
The brand new league section runs till the top of January, with the play-offs in February and the remainder of the knockout stage earlier than the ultimate going down between March and early Might.
Matchday 1: September 16-18 2025
Matchday 2: September 30 – October 1 2025
Matchday 3: October 21/22 2025
Matchday 4: November 4/5 2025
Matchday 5: November 25/26 2025
Matchday 6: December 9/10 2025
Matchday 7: January 20/21 2026
Matchday 8: January 28 2026
When is the Champions League knockout section?
Knockout section play-offs: February 17/18 & 24/25 2026
Spherical of 16: March 10/11 & 17/18 2026
Quarter-finals: April 7/8 & 14/15 2026
Semi-finals: April 28/29 and Might 5/6 2026
Closing: Might 30 2026 (Budapest)
When are the Champions League attracts?
Third qualifying spherical: July 21 2025
Play-offs: August 4 2025
League section: August 28 2025
Knockout section play-offs: January 30 2026
Spherical of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and ultimate: February 27 2026
When is the Champions League ultimate?
The ultimate will happen on Might 30 2026 on the the Puskas Arena in Budapest, which opened in 2019 and is house to Hungary’s nationwide group.
The world hosted a dramatic 2022/23 Europa League ultimate, when Sevilla beat Mourinho’s Roma on penalties following a 1-1 draw after further time.
