Wednesday, August 25, 2010

UCL Playoff Round: Spurs, Auxerre, FC Copenhagen Overturn Game-One Setbacks To Advance To Group Stage; Ajax and MSK Zilina Advance Too

The playoff round for berths in the UEFA Champions League's group stage concluded with five games on Wednesday.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Solvi Ottesen scored the only goal of the match (33') as FC Copenhagen took game two of their two-match set with Rosenborg 1-0 at home, and with the two-game score 2-2 on aggregate, won the series on away goals.

At Zilina, Slovakia:

Momodou Ceesay provided the game's lone goal at 18 minutes as MSK Zilina defeated visiting Sparta Prague 1-0 in game two and won their two-game set 3-0 on aggregate to become the first Slovakian club since Artmedia Petzralka in 2005-06 to reach the Champions League's group stage.

At London:

Peter Crouch's hat trick (5', 61', PK-78') helped Tottenham Hotspur overcome their 3-2 road defeat of last week as they brass knuckled visiting BSC Young Boys 4-0 in game two and won their two-match series 6-3 on aggregate, enabling Spurs to reach the Champions League's group stage for the first time in club history.

At Auxerre, France:

Cedric Hengbart (9') and Ireneusz Jelen (53') provided the goalpower that enabled AJ Auxerre to overturn their 1-0 road defeat at Saint Petersburg with a 2-0 home win in match two over Zenit Saint Petersburg and win their two-game series 2-1 on aggregate and reach the group stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2002-03.

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Luis Suarez (43') and Mounir El Hamdaoui (75') as Ajax Amsterdam defeated visiting Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in game two and won their two-game series 3-2 on aggregate.


The draw for the Champions League's group stage will take place on Thursday in Monaco.


The ten teams that were eliminated over the past two days will play in the group stage of the Europa League.

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