09/10/26 01:56:00
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09/10 13:54 CDT Roma and Fenerbahce draw as both end long Champions League
waits. Dest scores for PSV
Roma and Fenerbahce draw as both end long Champions League waits. Dest scores
for PSV
LONDON (AP) --- Roma and Fenerbahce both ended long absences from the Champions
League but neither could celebrate a winning return in a 1-1 draw on Thursday.
Roma had missed seven Champions League seasons since reaching the last 16 in
2018-19, while Fenerbahce was last in Europe's top-tier competition in the
2008-09 campaign.
Roma took the lead on Bryan Cristante's low shot from outside the box in the
39th minute. Fenerbahce left back Archie Brown moved into a center forward
position and looked like a natural striker as he flicked the ball over the
goalkeeper to level the score in the 48th. Nathan Ak headed against the bar
late on with a chance to win the game for Fenerbahce.
United States full back Sergio Dest scored for PSV Eindhoven off a low cross
in a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk after Gleiker Mendoza had opened the
scoring for the Ukrainian team.
Bayern and Manchester United kick off later
Six-time winner Bayern Munich hosts last season's surprise package Bodo/Glimt,
and upstart Como makes its debut against Leipzig.
Bodo/Glimt is coming off a run to the last 16 that included victories over
Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan. The tiny Norwegian club has
already come through two rounds of qualifying to reach the league phase again.
With 14 goals in 13 matches last season, Bayern striker Harry Kane finished
second only to Kylian Mbapp (15) in last season's scoring chart. Bayern was
eliminated by eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.
Cesc Fabregas' Como finished fourth ahead of Juventus and AC Milan last season
to claim Serie A's final Champions League spot with a high-pressing brand of
soccer that is uncommon in Italy.
Having played in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago,
it's the first time in Como's 119-year history that it has qualified for a
continental competition.
Also, three-time winner Manchester United marks its Champions League return
after two years out by hosting Azerbaijani debutant Sabah, which came through
three rounds of qualifying and a playoff to make it this far.
Slavia Prague plays Lens in the other late match.
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