Updated at 23.24
LAZIO HAD GONE to Bayer Leverkusen hoping to defend a one-goal advantage and reach the main draw for the first time since the 2007/08 season in the Champions League playoffs tonight.
But the Italians were trailing following goals from Hakan Calhanoglu (40) and Admir Mehmedi (48) and faced an uphill battle as they played the last 20 minutes with ten men when Brazilian Maurício was sent off for a second yellow card.
Karim Bellarabi put the result beyond any doubt for the Germans when he finished into an empty net two minutes from time after good work from Julian Brandt.
- Astana make history -
Astana made history as they became the first Kazakh team to qualify for the main competition with a 1-1 draw at Cypriot side Apoel in a 2-1 aggregate victory.
The Kazakh club had taken a 1-0 lead to the Cypriot capital Nicosia for their second leg against 2012 quarter-finalists APOEL.
Semir Stilic’s superb free-kick put the Cypriots ahead after 60 minutes but six minutes from time Nemanja Maksimovic tapped in the winner from close range.
In Serbia, Belarussian champions BATE Borisov reached the group stages for the fourth time in five years on away goals after a 2-1 loss at Partizan Belgrade, having won the first leg 1-0.
Igor Stasevich put BATE ahead after 25 minutes after the ball bounced into his path, only for Partizan to level after 74 minutes via an own goal from BATE’s Maksim Zhavnerchik.
An injury-time Ivan Saponjic goal proved academic in the end as Partizan earned a hollow victory on the night.
2010 quarter-finalists CSKA Moscow also advanced after a come-from-behind 3-1 success against Sporting Lisbon — 4-3 on aggregate — to add to their record of seven wins out of seven in Russia this season.
Portuguese giants Sporting had taken a 2-1 advantage to Moscow and Teofilo Gutierrez scored an away goal after 36 minutes before a second half double from CSKA’s Ivorian striker Seydou Doumbia on 49 and 72 minutes left the tie level.
Nigerian striker Ahmed Musa got the winner for the Russians five minutes from time as they qualify for the main draw for the third straight season.
More to follow
Results:
APOEL (CYP) 1 (Stilic 60) Astana (KAZ) 1 (Maksimovic 84)
Astana qualify 2-1 on aggregate
Partizan Belgrade (SRB) 2 (Zhaunerchyk 74-o.g., Saponjic 90+3) BATE Borisov (BLR) 1 (Stasevich 25)
BATE win on away goals rule after tie finished 2-2 on aggregate
CSKA Moscow (RUS) 3 (Doumbia 49, 72, Musa 85) Sporting Lisbon (POR) 1 (Guttierez 36)
CSKA qualify 4-3 on aggregate
Club Brugge (BEL) 0 Manchester United (ENG) 4 (Rooney 20, 49, 57, Herrera 63)
Manchester United win 7-1 on aggregate
Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 3 (Calhanoglu 40, Mehmedi 48, Bellarabi 88) Lazio (ITA) 0
Bayer win 3-1 on aggregate
