UEFA Champions League Qualifying Wrap: Grenier sends Lyon through, Fenerbache secure easy win

Lyon booked their place in the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 win over Grasshoppers on Tuesday.

A late goal from 22-year-old midfielder Clement Grenier proved to be enough for Remi Garde’s men to keep their chances of reaching the group stage alive with a 2-0 aggregate victory in the third qualifying round.

The Swiss side had held on well for much of the encounter as they attempted to overturn their deficit from the first leg, but Grenier’s quality told after 82 minutes as he slotted home to ensure triumph for the Ligue 1 club.

Fenerbache are also into the next round following their 3-1 (4-2 agg) success over Red Bull Salzburg.

Jonathan Soriano gave the Austrians a surprise advantage, but Raul Meireles, Moussa Sow and Pierre Webo all found the back of the net as the Turkish Super Lig outfit cruised to victory.

Basel secured their progress by virtue of a thrilling 3-3 draw with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

The visitors, leading 1-0 from the first leg, seemed sure of their place in the play-off round as a penalty from Fabian Schar, and goals from Mohamed Salah and Marcelo Dias gave them an emphatic lead.

The Israeli outfit stormed back, though, Schar putting through his own net before Eran Zahavi and Maharan Radi tied things up, but they could not find the two further goals they required to qualify.

Steaua Bucharest moved through as they drew 1-1 with Dinamo Tbilisi to secure a 3-1 aggregate win, full-back Iasmin Latovlevici putting them in front before Ustaritz equalised for the visitors.

Maribor knocked out APOEL Nicosia on away goals (1-1 agg) following their 0-0 draw in Slovenia, while Partizan Belgrade fell to a shock exit at the hands of Ludogorets.

Ludogorets led 2-1 from the first game and the Bulgarian side killed off Partizan’s hopes two minutes from time as midfielder Hristo Zlatinski stepped up to score from the spot after Nikola Gulan had been dismissed for a rash challenge on Roman Bezjak inside the area.

Shakhter Karandy qualified for the next stage despite a 3-2 defeat to Skenderbeu of Albania.

The Kazakh club led 3-0 from the first leg but saw their advantage disappear as a strike from Zeljko Tomic and a Blendi Shkembi double levelled the tie.

However, Shakhter were not to denied, with goals from Sergei Khizhnichenko and Maksat Bayzhanov denying the hosts a miraculous fightback.