Couceiro’s Champions League dream suffers setback

Round-up of matches involving Portuguese As club’s across the continent battle it out for the remaining places in the group phase of this season’s Uefa Champions League, PortuGOAL rounds up the matches with Portuguese participants from this week’s first legs of the competition’s third and final qualifying round. Fiorentina (Ita) 2-0 SK Slavia Prague (Cze) Italians Fiorentina are close to a return to the Champions League after a 2-0 home win over Slavia Prague at the Artemio Franchi, although there was no sign of Portuguese defender Manuel da Costa in La Viola’s squad. Goals from strikers Adrian Mutu (3) and Alberto Gilardino (60) gave the Serie A side the advantage going into next week’s second leg, as Cesare Prandelli’s men look to secure their first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition since the turn of the... [read full story]