UEFA Champions League Playoff Round: The Final 10 Group Stages Places Have Been Claimed

On Tuesday, five teams booked their places in the UEFA Champions League group stage, but that still left five places up for grabs. Either by way of the Champions Route or the League Route, five more teams would find their ways out of their two-legged playoffs and secure all of the prestige, glory and money of the Champions League proper.

Dynamo Kiev advance 4-3 on aggregate

The final places in the 2012-13 Champions League group stages were secured today across Europe. Three of the matches were fairly pedestrian with nothing changing from the first leg as BATE Borisov, Dinamo Zagreb and Malaga advanced while Anderlecht fought back to win their tie over AEL. For second straight year, Udinese failed to qualify for the group stages, this time in heartbreaking fashion.

BATE Borisov advances 3-1

Anderlecht left it late, but goals from Deiudonne Mbokani and Oleksandr Yakovenko in the final ten minutes were all they needed to get past AEL and reclaim their place in the group stages.

Anderlecht’s intent was exactly what you’d expect from a team down 2-1 in an aggregate tie...get the first goal. AEL’s intent was more of a “thrown the kitchen sink at them” approach in a desperate attempt to hold on to their advantage. Really all the Belgian side needed was a 1-0 win and they would be through to the group stages but AEL was bound and determined to prevent that from happening.

Only two ties in the UEFA Champions League playoff stages appear to be truly over, while about half of the ties remain close and completely unpredictable. Celtic look set to return to the group stage after a terrible 2011-12 season in Europe, while Dynamo Kiev have a surprising two-goal lead and three away goals against Borussia Mönchengladbach. CFR Cluj won 2-1 away to Basel in the first leg of their tie, and should go through. BATE Borisov and Malaga have commanding two-goal leads in their ties and denied their opponents away goals last week.

Spartak Moscow versus Fenerbahce appeared to be the most entertaining tie on paper entering the round, and they didn’t disappoint. The two teams played an excellent match in Russia last week, with Dmitriy Kombarov scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory for Spartak. Fener will like their chances of overturning the result with an away goal in their pocket.