Two qualifying rounds comprised the first stage of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, the 44th season of Europe's premier club football competition and the seventh since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The stage determined which 16 teams joined the eight automatic qualifiers in the group stage. 32 teams entered at the first qualifying round, with a further 16 teams receiving a bye to the second qualifying round. Among the teams in the first qualifying round was Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, who went on to reach the semi-finals of the competition proper, while both finalists – Manchester United of England and Bayern Munich of Germany – entered the competition in the second qualifying round, having finished as runners-up in their domestic leagues the previous season.
First qualifying round
Seeding
32 champions from associations ranked 16–48 (except Liechtenstein) started in First qualifying round. Champions of nations ranked 16–31 were seeded, while champions of nations ranked 32 and below were unseeded.[1] The draw was performed on 6 July 1998 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Summary
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sileks  | 
1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |
| ŁKS Łódź  | 
7–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | |
| Litex Lovech  | 
3–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | |
| Grasshopper  | 
8–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | |
| Celtic  | 
2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| Kareda Šiauliai  | 
0–4 | 0–3 | 0–1 | |
| Dynamo Kyiv  | 
10–1 | 8–0 | 2–1 | |
| Cliftonville  | 
1–13 | 1–5 | 0–8 | |
| Skonto  | 
2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |
| Valletta  | 
0–8 | 0–2 | 0–6 | |
| Beitar Jerusalem  | 
5–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | |
| Dinamo Tbilisi  | 
4–3 | 3–0 1 | 1–3 | |
| HJK  | 
5–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| Obilić  | 
4–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Zimbru Chișinău  | 
2–3 | 1–0 | 1–3 | |
| Steaua București  | 
5–4 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 
- ^ Match forfeited
 
Matches
| Sileks  | 0–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
Club Brugge won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Kapaz  | 1–3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Smirnov  | 
Report | Trzeciak  Wieszczycki  | 
ŁKS Łódź won 7–2 on aggregate.
| Litex Lovech  | 2–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushi  Yurukov  | 
Report | 
Litex Lovech won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Grasshopper  | 6–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Nkufo  Kavelashvili Cabanas Tikva Tararache  | 
Report | 
| Jeunesse Esch  | 0–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Esposito  Türkyilmaz  | 
Grasshopper won 8–0 on aggregate.
| St Patrick's Athletic  | 0–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Brattbakk  Larsson  | 
Celtic won 2–0 on aggregate.
| Kareda Šiauliai  | 0–3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Gajser  Filipović  | 
| Maribor  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Balajić  | 
Report | 
Maribor won 4–0 on aggregate.
| Dynamo Kyiv  | 8–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rebrov  Shevchenko Gerasimenko Byalkevich  | 
Report | 
| Barry Town  | 1–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Williams  | 
Report | Mykhaylenko  Venhlynskyi  | 
Dynamo Kyiv won 10–1 on aggregate.
| Cliftonville  | 1–5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Flynn  | 
Report | Zvara  Németh Lyubarskyi Prohászka  | 
| Košice  | 8–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Kozák  Janočko Németh Prohászka Lyubarskyi Kožlej  | 
Report | 
Košice won 13–1 on aggregate.
| Skonto  | 0–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
Skonto won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Valletta  | 0–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Elia  Okkas  | 
| Anorthosis  | 6–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ćirić  Charalambous Andreou Sotiriou Okkas  | 
Report | 
Anorthosis won 8–0 on aggregate.
| B36  | 0–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Hamar  | 
Beitar Jerusalem won 5–1 on aggregate.
| Vllaznia Shkodër  | 3–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cungu  Miloti Noga  | 
Report | Ashvetia  | 
The first leg was finished 1–0 after normal time, but later awarded 3–0 by default. Dinamo Tbilisi won 4–3 on aggregate.
HJK won 5–0 on aggregate.
| ÍBV  | 1–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hafliðason  | 
Report | Vasiljević  Grozdić  | 
FK Obilić won 4–1 on aggregate.
| Zimbru Chișinău  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Kulik  | 
Report | 
| Újpest  | 3–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Miriuță  Kovács  | 
Report | Kulyk  | 
Újpest won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Steaua București  | 4–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ciocoiu  Șerban Dănciulescu  | 
Report | Terehhov  | 
| Flora Tallinn  | 3–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Smirnov  Zelinski Oper  | 
Report | Dănciulescu  | 
Steaua București won 5–4 on aggregate.
Second qualifying round
Seeding
16 clubs (champions of nations ranked 8–15 and runners-up of nations ranked 1–8) started in this round and were seeded. 16 winners of the First qualifying round were unseeded.[2] Losing teams in the second qualifying round qualified for the first round of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. The draw was performed on 6 July 1998 in Geneva, Switzerland, immediately after First qualifying round draw.
- Notes
 
-  † Winners of the previous qualifying round whose identity was not known at the time of the draw.
 
Summary
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosenborg  | 
4–4 (a) | 2–0 | 2–4 | |
| Manchester United  | 
2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |
| Litex Lovech  | 
2–11 | 0–51 | 2–6 | |
| Galatasaray  | 
5–3 | 2–1 | 3–2 | |
| Celtic  | 
1–3 | 1–0 | 0–3 | |
| Maribor  | 
3–5 | 2–1 | 1–4 (aet) | |
| Dynamo Kyiv  | 
1–1 (3–1 p) | 0–1 | 1–0 (aet) | |
| Košice  | 
1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | |
| Internazionale  | 
7–1 | 4–02 | 3–1 | |
| Olympiacos  | 
6–3 | 2–1 | 4–23 | |
| Benfica  | 
8–4 | 6–0 | 2–4 | |
| Dinamo Tbilisi  | 
2–2 (a) | 2–1 | 0–1 | |
| HJK  | 
2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Bayern Munich  | 
5–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | |
| Sturm Graz  | 
7–2 | 4–0 | 3–2 | |
| Steaua București  | 
5–8 | 2–2 | 3–6 | 
- ^ Played at Neftochimik Stadium in Burgas because Litex Lovech's Lovech Stadium in Lovech did not meet UEFA standards.
 - ^ Played at Arena Garibaldi in Pisa because Internazionale were temporarily banned from playing at their San Siro stadium in Milan.
 - ^ Played at Tsirion Stadium in Limassol because Anorthosis' Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca did not meet UEFA standards.
 
Matches
| Rosenborg  | 2–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushfeldt  Skammelsrud  | 
Report | 
| Club Brugge  | 4–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fadiga  Claessens Schockaert  | 
Report | Rushfeldt  | 
4–4 on aggregate; Rosenborg won on away goals.
| Manchester United  | 2–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Giggs  Cole  | 
Report | 
Manchester United won 2–0 on aggregate.
| Litex Lovech  | 0–5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Pisarev  Leomar Titov Tsymbalar  | 
| Spartak Moscow  | 6–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tikhonov  Titov Tsymbalar Robson  | 
Report | Belyakov  Bushi  | 
Spartak Moscow won 11–2 on aggregate.
| Galatasaray  | 2–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hagi  Şükür  | 
Report | Vogel  | 
| Grasshopper  | 2–3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Türkyilmaz  Vogel  | 
Report | Şükür  Hagi  | 
Galatasaray won 5–3 on aggregate.
| Celtic  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson  | 
Report | 
| Croatia Zagreb  | 3–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Marić  Prosinečki  | 
Report | 
Croatia Zagreb won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Maribor  | 2–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Filipović  Breznik  | 
Report | Marcos  | 
| PSV Eindhoven  | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Van Nistelrooy  Bruggink Rommedahl De Bilde  | 
Report | Filipović  | 
PSV Eindhoven won 5–3 on aggregate.
| Dynamo Kyiv  | 0–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Baranek  | 
| Sparta Prague  | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Gabriel  | 
|
| Penalties | ||
| Čížek  Votava Stracený Baranek  | 
1–3 | |
1–1 on aggregate; Dynamo Kyiv won on penalties.
Brøndby won 2–1 on aggregate.
Internazionale won 7–1 on aggregate.
| Olympiacos  | 2–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Giannakopoulos  Luciano  | 
Report | Mihajlović  | 
| Anorthosis  | 2–4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mihajlović  Krčmarević  | 
Report | Georgatos  Đorđević Gogić  | 
Olympiacos won 6–3 on aggregate.
| Benfica  | 6–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pembridge  Deane Calado Schelach Nuno Gomes  | 
Report | 
| Beitar Jerusalem  | 4–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hamar  Sallói Shitrit Abukasis  | 
Report | Nuno Gomes  João Pinto  | 
Benfica won 8–4 on aggregate.
| Dinamo Tbilisi  | 2–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Khomeriki  Tskitishvili  | 
Report | Imaz  | 
2–2 on aggregate; Athletic Bilbao won on away goals.
HJK won 2–1 on aggregate.
| FK Obilić  | 1–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Šarac  | 
Report | Matthäus  | 
Bayern Munich won 5–1 on aggregate.
| Sturm Graz  | 4–0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Vastić  Neukirchner Haas  | 
Report | 
Sturm Graz won 7–2 on aggregate.
| Steaua București  | 2–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Șerban  Szekely  | 
Report | Asanović  Liberopoulos  | 
| Panathinaikos  | 6–3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Milojević  Lincar Liberopoulos Warzycha Asanović  | 
Report | Răchită  Belodedici  | 
Panathinaikos won 8–5 on aggregate.
References
- ↑ "UEFA Country Ranking 1998". Retrieved 11 October 2019.
 - ↑ "UEFA Country Ranking 1998". Retrieved 11 October 2019.