Last Minute Series Win For Sheriff; FC Zurich and Bhoys Overcome Home Defeats To Advance

The third qualifying round for the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League concluded with ten games on Wednesday.

Champions Path:

At Borisov, Belarus:

Igor Tigirlas scored what proved to be the series-winning goal at 14 minutes, as FK Ventspils, despite dropping a 2-1 road decision in game two against FC BATE Borisov, still won the series (2-2 on aggregate) on away goals.

At Sofia, Bulgaria:

Hristo Yovov (64') and Georgi Hristov (80') provided the only goal of both game two and the two-match series as PFC Levski Sofia defeated FK Baki 2-0, both in Wednesday's contest, and the series on aggregate.

At Prague, Czech Republic:

After last week's scoreless draw in Moldova, Adam Hlousek scored at 15 minutes to put SK Slavia Prague up 1-0 for both game two and the series, only to see Jose Nadson score the series winner for FC Sheriff in second-half stoppage time (90'+3) with the only road goal of the two-match set, sending the Moldovan club into the playoff round for a shot at group stage play. The final score was 1-1 for the game and series.

At Debrecen, Hungary:

Adamo Coulibaly's goal at 70 minutes lifted Decrecen VSC to a second successive 1-0 win over FC Lavadia Tallinn, this time at home in game two as the Hungarian club took the two-game set 2-0 on aggregate.

At Maribor, Slovenia:

FC Zurich, thanks to goals from Dusan Djuric (21'), Xavier Margairaz (45'), and Adrian Nikci (76'), overcame last week's 3-2 home defeat by smothering NK Maribor 3-0 on the road in game two and won the two-match set 5-3 on aggregate.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Despite dropping game two, 1-0 on the road, to Partizan Belgrade, APOEL FC still won their two-game set 2-1 on aggregate.

At Athens, Greece:

Enzo Maresca (35') and Diogo (56') provided the goalpower that lifted Olympiacos to a 2-0 home win over SK Slovan Bratislava in game two and a 4-0 aggregate series win over the Slovakian club.

At Oslo, Norway:

A 0-0 road deadlock in game two was good enough for FC Copenhagen as the Lions took the two-match set with Staebek IF 3-1 on aggregate.

Non-Champions Path:

At Moscow:

Scott McDonald (45') and Georgios Samaras (90'+1) contributed the goalpower as Celtic FC overturned last week's home loss by beating FC Dinamo Moscow 2-0 on the road in game two and won the two-match series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Timisoara, Romania:

The two goals scored last week in Ukraine by FC Timisoara proved to be enough as the two-match set, after a 0-0 stalemate at home in game two, enabled the Romanian club to take the two match set (2-2 on aggregate) thanks to the away goals rule, eliminating Shaktar Donetsk, last season's UEFA Cup winners, in the process.

All the teams who won their two-match sets in the third qualifying round will compete in the playoff round for places in the group stage. They will be joined by Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina, VfB Stuttgart, and Lyon. The teams that lost their two-match sets will move on to the playoff round for Europa League group stage berths.