Former European champions Ajax, Chelsea and FCSB all survived qualifying in lesser European competitions on Thursday.
Four-time champions Ajax cruised through in the second-tier Europa League.
Kian Fitz-Jim, Kenneth Taylor and Brian Brobbey scored as Ajax beat Jagiellonia from Poland, 3-0, to follow a comfortable victory in the first leg in Bialystok and advance 7-1 on aggregate.
Romanian club FCSB, who won the 1986 European Cup as Steaua Bucharest, squeaked through when Darius Olaru scored in added time to secure a 1-0 home victory over LASK from Austria and a 2-1 aggregate win.
In Istanbul, Ciro Immobile took his total to six goals in three games since moving to Turkey, scoring twice as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Besiktas thrashed Lugano from Switzerland 5-1 for an 8-4 aggregate win in the Europa League.
Chelsea, slumming in the third-tier Conference League and two goals up from the first leg against Servette, made eight changes from the team that crushed Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.
When Christophe Nkunku converted a penalty after 17 minutes in Geneva the Londoners seemed in control.
Centre forward Jeremy Guillemenot replied before half time and Enzo Crivelli scored a second with 18 minutes to play.
Servette won 2-1, but Chelsea squeaked through 3-2 on aggregate.
Welsh team New Saints reached the Conference League group stage after drawing 0-0 at home with Lithuanians Panevezys, but led 3-0 from the first leg.
Larne from Northern Ireland needed a hat-trick of penalties from Andrew Ryan as they fought back with 10 men to beat Red Imps from Gibraltar.
Bernardo Lopes put the visitors ahead on the night and two-up on aggregate in the 20th minute. Ryan replied three times from the spot, the last coming after Christopher Gallagher was sent off just before the hour.
© 2024 AFP
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