Kiev survive Gladbach fightback to qualify
Reuters - Wednesday 29 August 2012, 22:58
Dynamo Kiev survived a gallant
fightback by Borussia Monchengladbach to reach the Champions
League group stage on Wednesday, qualifying despite a 2-1 home
defeat in their play-off round second leg.
Romanian champions FC Cluj, Spartak Moscow, Lille and former
European champions Celtic also went into the hat for Thursday's
draw in Monaco after winning their ties.
Celtic, European Cup winners in 1967, beat Helsingborg 2-0
to complete a 4-0 aggregate win and leave Sweden without a team
in the group stage for the 12th season in a row.
A first-half header from Pantelis Kapetanos sent Cluj into
the group stage for the third time with a 1-0 win over FC Basel,
who enjoyed home wins over Manchester United and Bayern Munich
to reach the last 16 last season.
Spartak Moscow's 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce was enough to take
them through while Lille needed an extra-time goal from
Brazilian striker Tulio de Melo to overcome FC Copenhagen.
Monchengladbach, who have never played in the group stage,
appeared to need a miracle as they travelled to Kiev, a 3-1 home
defeat last week meaning they had to score three goals away from
home to have a chance.
That suddenly began to look a possibility with two goals in
eight minutes in the last quarter of the game against the
three-times semi-finalists.
Kiev's jitters led to Yevhen Khacheridi turning a Juan
Arango free-kick into his own goal in the 70th minute before the
Venezuelan playmaker netted the second with a header.
The crowd were on tenterhooks until Nigerian Ideye Aide
Brown rescued Kiev when he rushed clear of the defence and
scored with a delicate chip over Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the
88th minute to give the Ukrainians a 4-3 aggregate win.
Cluj's only goal came when Greek striker Kapetanos met Diogo
Valente's cross from the left with a powerful header in the 20th
minute, although they were let off when Basel missed a penalty
just before half-time.
Alexander Frei, all-time leading scorer for the Swiss
national side, skied his effort well over the crossbar amid
general bewilderment, leaving Switzerland without a team in the
group stage for the first time since 2007/08.
HOSTILE CONDITIONS
Spartak, facing hostile conditions in Istanbul, quickly
silenced the crowd in the sixth minute when Brazilian forward
Ari swept in Aiden McGeady's low cross from the right to add to
their 2-1 first-leg lead.
Senegalese forward Moussa Sow headed Fenerbahce level in the
69th minute to set up a dramatic finale but the Russians held on
for a 3-2 aggregate win.
Gary Hooper put Celtic ahead on the half-hour, tapping in
Giorgios Samaras's pass from close range as they dominated their
second leg and Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama headed in the
second following a corner in the 88th minute.
Lille, trailing 1-0 from the first leg against Copenhagen,
levelled the aggregate score just before half-time when Ivorian
forward Saloman Kalou crossed from the byline for Lucas Digne to
fire into the roof of the net.
The winning goal came in the first period of extra time when
Nolan Roux spun and crossed for Tulio to head home.