Champions League qualifier ends in 28-penalty shootout

Hamrun Spartans reached the second round of Champions League qualifying by winning an epic penalty shootout

Maltese champions Hamrun Spartans reached the second qualifying round of the Uefa Champions League for the first time on Tuesday - but they did it the hard way in a tie that went to extra time and then featured 28 penalties in a shootout.

The Spartans went into the second leg 2-0 down to Lithuanian champions Zalgiris but scored twice in six first-half minutes to draw level.

Zalgiris had defender Vasilije Radenovic sent off in the 114th minute for a second bookable offence before the real drama of the evening ensued.

After a pair of misses, the teams were locked at 4-4 and the shootout went to sudden death.

Both goalkeepers - Spartans captain Henry Bonello and Zalgiris' Carlos Olses - scored their penalties.

Zalgiris midfielder Ebenezer Ofori missed the crucial spot-kick, with Jovan Cadenovic scoring the winner to give Spartans a 11-10 victory.

Malta international Bonello, 36, became the hero for Spartans by saving two spot-kicks, while Olses saved one and four more penalties missed the target.

The reward for Spartans is a tie against Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv for a place in the third round of qualifying.

Where does it rank?

Opta says the biggest penalty shootout by score in a European competition is Belfast club Glentoran's 14-13 defeat by Malta's Gzira United in Conference League qualifying in July 2023, which also featured 28 spot-kicks.

That ranks just ahead of Ajax's 13-12 penalty win over Panathinaikos to reach the Europa League qualifying play-off round in August 2024.

That shoot-out featured a remarkable 34 penalties.

Spartans and Zalgiris sit joint third on the list in terms of highest score but joint second in terms of number of penalties taken in a European competition.

The world record for a shootout is believed to be the 56 penalties taken by Israeli sides SC Dimona and Shimshon Tel Aviv in May 2024 in a semi-final promotion play-off, as both sides took 28 before SC Dimona prevailed 23-22.

In England, the overall record is held by non-league sides Washington and Bedlington for their 54-penalty shootout that decided an Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup game in 2022.

Highest-scoring penalty shootouts in European competition (featuring 20+ successful spot-kicks)

1 Gzira United v Glentoran (14-13) - Conference League qualifying phase - 20 July 2023

2 Ajax v Panathinaikos (13-12) - Europa League qualifying phase - 15 August 2024

3= Shamrock Rovers v Ilves (12-11) - Europa League qualifying phase - 27 August 2020

3= Wisla Krakow v Spartak Trnava (12-11) - Conference League qualifying phase - 15 August 2024

5= Skonto Riga v Olimpija Ljubljana (11-10) - Champions League qualifying phase - 1 September 1993

5= IK Start v Drogheda United (11-10) - UEFA Cup qualifying phase - 24 August 2006

5= Villarreal v Manchester United (11-10) - Europa League final - 26 May 202

5= Hamrun Spartans v Zalgiris (11-10) - Champions League qualifying phase - 15 July 2025