The joy of Slovan players after scoring their second goal in the Champions League play-off second leg between ŠK Slovan Bratislava and FC Midtjylland on August 28, 2024, in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Slovan Bratislava secured their place in the Champions League group stage for the first time in the club’s history on Wednesday night after a thrilling victory over Danish side FC Midtjylland.
After a 1-1 draw in Denmark last week, Slovan returned home determined to seize their moment. In front of a sold-out crowd at Tehelné pole, Slovakia’s national stadium, the team delivered, edging their Danish opponents 3-2 in a dramatic second leg.
“Miracles do happen. I believed we could do it,” said head coach Vladimír Weiss after the match. “I will never forget the emotion of this night in front of such an incredible crowd. We gave everything we had.”
Before kickoff at Tehelné pole, the crowd fell silent to honour the late Swedish coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, reflecting on the legacy of one of football’s most respected figures.
The action began in the 33rd minute when Marko Tolić (Croatia) put Slovan ahead, igniting the home crowd. However, FC Midtjylland quickly responded with a goal from Aral Simsir before halftime. Early in the second half, Djú Franculino (Guinea-Bissau) scored to give the Danish champions a brief lead, but Slovan refused to back down. Tolić struck again, levelling the score late in the game. The decisive moment came when Tigran Barseghyan (Armenia) fired home the winning goal, sending the stadium into a frenzy and booking Slovan’s ticket to Europe’s elite competition.
“We turned it around, showed what a great team we are,” said Tolić. “I’m proud of us.”
This historic achievement makes Slovan only the fourth Slovak club ever to reach the Champions League group stage. The last team to do so was MŠK Žilina in the 2010/11 season, following the earlier success of 1. FC Košice (1997/98) and Artmedia Petržalka (2005/06).
Slovan Bratislava will now await Thursday’s group stage draw in Monte Carlo, where they'll learn their next opponents in this monumental journey.
