The field for the final playoff round of the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League is set, as 12 more teams advanced today while 10 more were sent out of the competition. The field of hopeful qualifiers now has 10 teams in both the League Route and the Champions Route remaining, with five teams from each route moving on to the group stages of the competition.
UEFA Champions League, Third Round Qualifying: Benfica And Twente Prevail As Rangers Fall
Rubin Kazan look like a potentially formidable opponent for one of the seeded teams in the League Route after they defeated Ukranian giants Dynamo Kiev 4-1 on aggregate. The tie looked all but over after they won 2-0 in Kiev last week, but they put the tie completely to bed in the 16th minute of the second leg Wednesday when Vladimir Dyadyun scored to make it 3-0 on aggregate.
In Sweden, Rangers and Malmo played one of the most unsporting games the competition has ever seen. Two Rangers players and one Malmo player saw red, and there could have been a few more sendings off. After losing the first leg 1-0 at Ibrox, Rangers got back into the game with a goal by Nikica Jelavić in the first half. However, Jiloan Hamad would go on to score a fantastic half volley in the 80th minute, giving Malmo the 2-1 aggregate win.
Twente and Benfica both won 2-0 last week, and both drew Wednesday to easily coast into the next round. Twente won their tie 2-0 on aggregate, while Benfica won 3-1.
Complete Wednesday scores
Rubin Kazan 2-1 Dyanmo Kiev - Rubin advances 4-1 on aggregate
Malmo 1-1 Rangers - Malmo advances 2-1 on aggregate
Vaslui 0-0 Twente - Twente advances 2-0 on aggregate
Slovan Brataslava 0-2 APOEL Nicosia - APOEL advances 2-0 on aggregate
Viktoria Plzen 3-2 Rosenborg - Plzen advances 4-2 on aggregate
Zurich 1-0 Standard Liege - Zurich advances 2-1 on aggregate
Wisla Krakow 3-1 Litex - Wisla advances 5-2 on aggregate
Sturm Graz 1-0 Zestafoni - Sturm advances 2-1 on aggregate
Maribor 1-1 Maccabi Haifa - Maccabi advances 3-2 on aggregate
Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 HJK Helsinki - Dinamo advances 3-1 on aggregate
Partizan Belgrade 1-1 Racing Genk - Genk advances 3-2 on aggregate
Trabzonspor 1-1 Benfica - Benfica advances 3-1 on aggregate
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