It was a night to remember for Copenhagen’s Orri Steinn Óskarsson and KÍ Klaksvík on Wednesday. The teenage striker Óskarsson scored a hat-trick against the team managed by his father, while the Faroese champions became the first team from the island nation to secure group-stage European football after they shocked Häcken in the Champions League qualifiers.
Óskarsson, 18, was the star of Copenhagen’s 6-3 victory in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie against the Icelandic champions, Breidablik, who are managed by his father, Óskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson.
Despite being handed his senior debut by Thorvaldsson at the age of 13 when he was in charge of the Icelandic club Grotta, there was no room for sentiment as Óskarsson scored in first-half stoppage time to make it 4-1 on the night Óskarsson scores his second two minutes after the break and a third in the 57th minute as Copenhagen set up a meeting with Sparta Prague in the third qualifying round.
They will be joined by Klaksvík, who knocked out Sweden’s BK Häcken after holding their nerve in a thrilling penalty shootout. Klaksvík, based in a town which Has just 5,000 inhabitants, drew 3-3 in Sweden in the second leg of their qualifier after the first match ended 0-0.
“Tears. Tears of joy. What a team. What a club. What a town. What a story. Amazing support. This is unreal,” the club wrote on social media. The 20-time Faroese champions had reached the second round by stunning Ferencvaros in their opening qualifying tie.
Victory on Wednesday guaranteed Klaksvík at least a place in the Europa Conference League, the first time a Faroese club will feature in the group stage of a European competition. They will play the Norwegian side Molde in the next round, with the winner entering the playoffs for a Champions League group place.
Rangers will face the Swiss side Servette in the Champions League third qualifying round. The Swiss league runners-up brushed aside Genk 4-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw left the score locked at 3-3 on aggregate following extra time. Rangers will host Servette at Ibrox next Wednesday before the return leg the following week.
Galatasaray were without their injured new signing Wilfried Zaha against the Lithuanian side Zalgiris Vilnius but set up a tie against the Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana thanks to a stunning winner from Dries Mertens. The Turkish side won 1-0 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate.
Dinamo Zagreb, Maccabi Haifa and Poland’s Rakow Czestochowa were among the other sides to progress to the third qualifying round.
