Bayern safely reach group stage

23 August 2011 23:00

Bayern Munich made sure of their place in the Champions League group stage with a 1-0 win at FC Zurich completing a 3-0 aggregate play-off victory.

Mario Gomez scored the only goal of the second leg in the seventh minute as the Bavarians, who put themselves in the driving seat last week with goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben, advanced with minimum fuss.

Holland winger Robben was an unused substitute in Switzerland after having suffered a recurrence of his recent back problem.

Villarreal had a more difficult task on their hands, heading into their encounter against Odense 1-0 down, but a convincing 3-0 win at El Madrigal saw them turn things around.

Giuseppe Rossi netted twice in the first half of the second half to get the Yellow Submarine in the ascendancy following last week's shock defeat in Denmark, and substitute Carlos Marchena rounded off the scoring eight minutes from time.

Both teams ended the match with 10 men, Odense's Bashkim Kadrii dismissed in the 70th minute for a second bookable offence and Borja Valero seeing red six minutes later to even up the numbers.

There was late drama in Cyprus as APOEL also overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to clinch a 3-2 aggregate triumph over Wisla Krakow.

A 29th-minute own goal from Wisla goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko and Ailton's strike nine minutes into the second half put Apoel two goals to the good and 2-1 ahead overall.

Cezary Wilk then netted what looked set to prove a crucial away goal for the Polish team in the 71st minute, but Ailton had other ideas and bagged his second of the night three minutes from time to send his side through.

Second-half goals from Wilton Figueiredo and Pontus Jansson were not enough for Malmo, who won 2-0 on the night against Dinamo Zagreb but lost 4-3 on aggregate. Dinamo's cause was not helped by the dismissal of teenage defender Sime Vrsaljko five minutes into the second half, but the Croatian side held on.

Source: PA