Sparta, Partizan advance in Champions League

Czech champions Sparta Prague moved to within four games of the lucrative Champions League group phase by completing a 5-0 aggregate victory over Latvia’s Liepajas Metalurgs on Wednesday.

Sparta, crowned champions in the Czech Republic’s Gambrinus Liga for the 11th time last season, won 2-0 in the Czech capital in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie thanks to a pair of first-half free-kicks.

Czech international Marek Matejovsky set the hosts on their way with a 12th-minute free-kick and Martin Zeman doubled the advantage shortly before the interval, two minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Sparta will meet Polish team Lech Poznan for a berth in the play-off round, when heavyweights including Sevilla, Sampdoria and Tottenham Hotspur will enter the competition.

Lech Poznan’s game with Inter Baku of Azerbaijan was the most dramatic of the night, with the hosts ultimately winning 9-8 on penalties following a match that ended 1-1 on aggregate after extra time.

Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade secured their passage to the third round with a 1-0 win at Armenian side FC Pyunik that sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Partizan, beaten European Cup finalists in 1966, prevailed through a powerful finish from Brazilian striker Cleo in first-half injury time in Yerevan and will face Finnish outfit HJK Helsini in the third qualifying round.

Debrecen, the reigning Hungarian champions, edged a narrow tie with Estonia’s Levadia Tallinn to set up a clash with Swiss champions FC Basel.

Having secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Tallinn, Debrecen fell behind to a third-minute goal from Levadia skipper Konstantin Nahk.

Adamo Coulibaly drew the home side level in the 24th minute before Yannick Mbengono put them ahead but Levadia equalised through Vitali Leitan in the 53rd minute, only for Peter Szakaly to net the deciding goal two minutes later.

Goals from Swedish international striker Rade Prica and 17-year-old midfielder Markus Henriksen earned Norwegian champions Rosenborg a tight 2-0 aggregate victory over Northern Irish side Linfield.

Prica struck the first goal of the tie in the 32nd minute in Trondheim, with Henriksen applying the finishing touch late on to earn Rosenborg a meeting with Scandinavian rivals AIK, the Swedish champions.

The first legs of the third qualifying round take place on July 27 and 28, with the return legs a week later on August 3 and 4.