12 UEFA Champions League Qualifying Series Conclude

Twelve third-qualifying-round two-game series concluded Wednesday with the winners heading into the group stage of the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, and the losers heading for UEFA Cup competition.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Ismael Bangoura scored twice (12', 76') to help Dynamo Kiev finish off FK Sarajevo by beating the visitors 3-0 in game two of their series and claim the two-game set on aggregate 4-0.

At Brussels, Belgium:

Following their 1-0 home win two weeks ago, Fenerbahce locked up a UCL Group Stage berth, defeating RSC Anderlecht 2-0 on the road to wrap up their series 3-0 on aggregate. Mateja Kezman (2') and Alex De Souza (77') provided the goals.

At London:

Tomas Rosicky (7'), Cesc Fabergas (82'), and Eduardo Da Silva (89') each scored a goal to propel Arsenal into the UCL Group Stage as the Gunners dispatched Sparta Prague both in game two of their series, 3-0 at home, and 5-0 on aggregate for the series.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Matias Delgado provided both goals (57', 66') as Besiktas rang up a 2-0 home win over FC Zurich and win their two-game set 3-1 on aggregate.

At Bucharest, Romania:

Thanks to goals from Dorel Zaharia (12') and Adrian Neaga (63'), Steaua Bucharest rang up a 2-0 home win to win their two-game set with BATE Borisov 4-2 on aggregate.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

With goals from Christiano Lucarelli (9'), Nery Castillo (PK-78'), and Brandau (86'), FC Shaktar Donetsk bounced back from losing their series opener to defeat FC Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 and take their two-game set 3-2 on aggregate to reach the UCL Group Stage again.

At Boras, Sweden:

Valencia, powered by tallies courtesy of Ivan Helguera (5') and David Villa (90'), finished off IF Elfsborg by beating the Swedish club 2-1 on the road and taking their two-game set on aggregate 5-1.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Kostas Katsouranis scored the only goal (18') of SL Benfica's 1-0 road win over FC Copenhagen, enabling the Portuguese club to take their two-game series 3-1 on aggregate and return to the UCL Group Stage.

At Glasgow, Scotland:

As was the case two weeks ago in Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Celtic battled to a 1-1 draw in game two with Scott McDonald putting the Bhoys ahead with his 27th-minute goal. Roman Pavluchenko equalized at 45 minutes for the Red-Whites. After thirty scoreless overtime minutes, the series was decided in the penalty-kick shootout, which Celtic won 4-3, enabling the Hoops to reach the UCL Group Stage.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

In game two of their two-game set, Werder Bremen defeated hosts Dinamo Zagreb 3-2 to take the series on aggregate 5-3. Boubacar Sanogo's score (40') was sandwiched between two successful Diego penalty kicks (13', 68').

At Prague, Czech Republic:

Thanks to two goals from Stanislav Vlcek (22', 86'), Slavia Prague reached the UCL Group Stage for the first time, knocking off visiting Ajax Amsterdam 2-1 in game two, and taking the series on aggregate 3-1.

At Trondheim, Norway:

Rosenborg finished off Tampere United 2-0 at home in game two, thus winning their two-game set 5-0 on aggregate. Marek Sapara (45') and Didier Konan (49') scored for the hosts.