Tuesday, August 25, 2015

UEFA Champions League: Five Clubs Advance To Group Stage: Dinamo Zagreb, Malmo (At Bhoys' Expense), Maccabi Tel Aviv, Shakhtar, Valencia Advance To Group Stage

Five games were contested on Tuesday as the playoff round for UEFA Champions League group-stage berths continued.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

El Arbi Hillel Soudani scored twice (9', 80') as Dinamo Zagreb dominated visiting Skenderbeu Korce 4-1 in game two and ousted the Albanian club 6-2 on aggregate.

At Malmo, Sweden:

Markus Rosenberg (23') and Felipe Carvalho (54') delivered the goals as Malmo FF overcame their series-opening defeat with a 2-0 game-two home blanking of Celtic and eliminated the Bhoys 4-3 on aggregate.

At Tel Aviv, Israel:

Eran Zahavi's goal in the 24th minute proved vital as Maccabi Tel Avia gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with FC Basel and, with the aggregate score at 3-3, advanced to the group stage for the first time in eleven years on away goals.

At Lviv, Ukraine:

Due to the ongoing unstable situation in eastern Ukraine, this contest was played at Lviv.  In this one, Marlos (10') and Oleksandr Hladkyy (27') each scored a goal as Shakhtar Donetsk gained a game-two 2-2 draw with visiting Rapid Vienna and won their series 3-2 on aggregate.

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two road decision to AS Monaco, Valencia still won their series 4-3 on aggregate.  Alvaro Negredo scored what proved to be the series-winning goal for the Spanish club in the fourth minute.  Five Spanish clubs (Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Valencia) will play in the Champions League's group stage.

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