Liverpool scored three goals in 12 dramatic first-half minutes as they swept to a 4-2 win over Hoffenheim in the second leg of their playoff tie to qualify for the Champions League group stage on Wednesday.
Emre Can scored twice to help Liverpool to a 6-3 aggregate win and wreck Hoffenheim’s dreams of qualifying for the first time.
Elsewhere, Qarabag became the first team from Azerbaijan to reach the group stage despite losing 2-1 away to FC Copenhagen. They qualified on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Sporting scored four second-half goals to beat FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, 5-1 away following a goalless draw in the first leg.
CSKA Moscow went through with a 2-0 win over Young Boys (3-0 on aggregate) and a goalless draw at Slavia Prague was enough for APOEL Nicosia to go through (2-0).
Results from the Champions League playoff second leg matches on Wednesday:
CSKA Moscow (Russia) – Young Boys (Switzerland) 2-0
First leg: Young Boys – CSKA Moscow 0-1. CSKA Moscow win 3-0 on aggregate.
FC Copenhagen (Denmark) – Qarabag Agdam (Azerbaijan) 2-1
First leg: Qarabag Agdam – FC Copenhagen 1-0. Qarabag Agdam win on away goals after 2-2 on aggregate.
FCSB (Romania) – Sporting (Portugal) 1-5
First leg: Sporting – FCSB 0-0. Sporting win 5-1 on aggregate.
Liverpool (England) – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany) 4-2
First leg: TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – Liverpool 1-2. Liverpool win 6-3 on aggregate.
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) – APOEL Nicosia (Cyprus) 0-0
First leg: APOEL Nicosia – Slavia Prague 2-0. APOEL Nicosia win 2-0 on aggregate.
Tuesday, August 22, second leg:
Rijeka (Croatia) – Olympiakos Piraeus (Greece) 0-1
First leg: Olympiakos Piraeus – Rijeka 2-1. Olympiakos Piraeus win 3-1 on aggregate.
Maribor (Slovenia) – Hapoel Beer Sheva (Israel) 1-0
First leg: Hapoel Beer Sheva – Maribor 2-1. Maribor win on away goals after 2-2 on aggregate.
Nice (France) – Napoli (Italy) 0-2
First leg: Napoli – Nice 2-0. Napoli win 4-0 on aggregate.
Sevilla (Spain) – Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey) 2-2
First leg: Istanbul Basaksehir – Sevilla 1-2. Sevilla win 4-3 on aggregate.
FC Astana (Kazakhstan) – Celtic (Scotland) 4-3
First leg: Celtic – FC Astana 5-0. Celtic win 8-4 on aggregate.
