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Champions League qualifying: biggest, most and best

With the play-offs concluded, UEFA.com focuses on the players and clubs who have set the pace in the qualifying phase of Europe's top club competition.

Partizan stalwart Saša Ilić
Partizan stalwart Saša Ilić ©Getty Images

Most appearances in European Cup/UEFA Champions League qualifying*
54:
Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
46: Vitali Rodionov (BATE)
40= Vazha Tarkhnishvili (Sheriff)
40= Mikael Lustig (Rosenborg, Celtic)
37= Dmitri Likhtarovich (BATE)
37= Nuno Morais (APOEL)

Most goals in European Cup/UEFA Champions League qualifying*
15:
Mihails Miholaps (Skonto)
14: Marcos Tavares (APOEL, Maribor)
13: Vitali Rodionov (BATE)
12= Cléo (Partizan)
12= Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kyiv)
12= Eran Zahavi (Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Maccabi Tel-Aviv)

Most games played by a team in European Cup/UEFA Champions League qualifying*
76: Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
68: Partizan (SRB)

By round

Mihails Zemļinskis in action for Latvia
Mihails Zemļinskis in action for Latvia©Getty Images

First qualifying round
Most appearances (player): 16 – Mihails Zemļinskis (Skonto)
Most goals: 13 – Mihails Miholaps (Skonto)
Most appearances (club): 16= F91 Dudelange, Pyunik, Sheriff, Skonto, Valletta,
Biggest win: Valletta 8-0 Lusitanos (03/07/12, first leg), Dynamo Kyiv 8-0 Barry Town (22/07/98, first leg), Košice 8-0 Cliftonville (29/07/98, second leg), Widzew Łódź 8-0 Neftchi Baku (30/07/97, second leg)
Biggest aggregate win: Cliftonville 1-13 Košice (1998/99)
Most successful campaign by a team starting out in the first qualifying round in 2016/17: no sides progressed further than second qualifying round 

Second qualifying round
Most appearances (player): 23 – Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
Most goals: 8 = Juraj Halenár (Petržalka, Slovan Bratislava), Vitali Rodionov (BATE), Maciej Żurawski (Wisła Kraków, Celtic)
Most appearances (club): 30 – Sheriff (MDA)
Biggest win: HJK 10-0 Bangor (19/07/11, second leg)
Biggest aggregate win: Bangor City 0-13 HJK (2011/12)
Most successful campaign by a team starting out in the second qualifying round in 2016/17: Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, København, Legia, Ludogorets (reached group stage)

Maribor's Tavares
Maribor's Tavares©Getty Images

Third qualifying round
Most appearances (player): 22 – Saša Ilić (Partizan, Galatasaray, Salzburg)
Most goals: 8 – Marcos Tavares (APOEL, Maribor)
Most appearances (team): 28 – Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Biggest win: Ekranas 0-6 Anderlecht (08/08/12, second leg), Monaco 6-0 Gorica (24/08/04, second leg)
Biggest aggregate win: Anderlecht 11-0 Ekranas (2012/13)
Most successful campaign by a team starting out in the third qualifying round in 2016/17: Monaco (reached semi-finals)

Play-offs
Most appearances (player): 12= Scott Brown (Celtic), Mikael Lustig (Rosenborg, Celtic), Nuno Morais (APOEL)
Most goals: 5= Sergio Agüero (Atlético, Man. City), Leigh Griffiths (Celtic)
Most appearances (team): 14= Celtic (SCO), København (DEN)
Biggest win: Celtic 5-0 Astana, Steaua Bucureşti 0-5 Manchester City, Borussia Mönchengladbach 6-1 Young Boys (24/08/16, second leg)
Biggest aggregate win: Young Boys 2–9 Borussia Mönchengladbach (2016/17)
Most successful campaign by a team starting out in the play-offs in 2016/17: Manchester City, Porto (reached round of 16)

*includes all qualifying phases: preliminary, intermediary and qualifying rounds, plus first, second and third qualifying rounds and play-offs

Stats last updated 17/08/17