Four-time European champions Ajax were ousted from the European Champions League qualifying on Wednesday, scoring an own-goal in their 2-0 loss at home to FC Copenhagen.
Ajax had a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg of their third-round qualifying match at the Amsterdam Arena, but fell behind when Michael Silberbauer scored in the 59th minute.
That tied the aggregate score and Copenhagen went ahead when Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen put the ball in his own net in the 77th minute.
The result sends Copenhagen to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League at the expense of Ajax, who won the European Cup from 1971 to 73 and in 1995.
Arsenal, who lost to Barcelona in last season’s final, also advanced to the group stage with a late goal that gave them a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb — the club’s first victory at their new stadium.
The Gunners advanced on a 4-1 aggregate score and reached the group stage for the ninth year in a row.
Lille, Spartak Moscow, Galatasaray, Dynamo Kiev, Steaua Bucharest, CSKA Moscow, Levski Sofia, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens also advanced to the group stage on Wednesday after their second-leg, third-qualifying round matches.
They joined former winners AC Milan, Liverpool, Benfica and Hamburg, who advanced on Tuesday, along with Valencia.
Arsenal started a second-choice team, with Thierry Henry on the bench and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann not even dressed. Disgruntled defender Ashley Cole — seeking a move to Chelsea — also wasn’t dressed, nor was Jose Antonio Reyes, a target for Real Madrid.
Da Silva Eduardo gave Dinamo Zagreb the lead in the 12th minute, taking advantage of a defensive error from Kolo Toure to score under goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
Arsenal had numerous chances, and were steadied by the arrival of Henry in the 65th minute. Fredrik Ljungberg headed a cross from Robin van Persie in the 77th minute for the equaliser.
Henry helped set up the winner, crossing to substitute Theo Walcott, who sent the ball to Mathieu Flamini to score in injury time.
”We were an inexperienced side and we won,” Ljungburg said.
”Maybe we didn’t start as sharp as we could, but we were playing on a big pitch and need patience compared with Highbury.”
In Moscow, Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the winner for Spartak Moscow in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Slovan Liberec. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg.
Brazilian striker Santos Mozart scored the opener. Liberec were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when defender Tomas Zapotocny was sent off for a second yellow card.
A second Russian club, CSKA Moscow, also advanced 5-0 on aggregate after a 2-0 win at Slovakia’s Ruzomberok.
Steaua Bucharest advanced 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-1 second-leg win over Belgium’s Standard Liege. Valentin Badea scored in the 35th and 51st minutes to send Steaua to the group stage for the first time in 10 years.
Liege midfielder Ricardo sa Pinto was sent off for two yellow cards in the 80th minute.
Lille won 1-0 at Macedonian club Rabotnicki on a Johan Audel goal to advance 4-0 on aggregate. Rabatonicki’s Dragan Jakolovski was sent off in the 83rd minute for a second yellow card.
In Athens, AEK’s Julio Cesar scored twice in a 2-0 win over nine-man Hearts to advance 5-1 on aggregate. The Scottish club had midfielder Julien Brellier sent off for a second yellow after only 30 minutes and Neil McCann was red-carded in the 63rd minute for a two-footed tackle on Vladimir Ivic.
Turkish club Galatasaray advanced 6-3 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw at Czech club Mlada Boleslav.
Two Ukraine clubs advanced — Dynamo Kiev went through 5-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw at Turkish club Fenerbahce and Shakhtar Donetsk won 3-2 at Poland’s Legia Warsaw to advance 4-2 on aggregate.
Levski Sofia became the first Bulgarian club to qualify for the group stage following a 2-2 draw and 4-2 aggregate win over Chievo Verona of Italy.
The draw for the group stages, when 32 teams will be placed into eight groups of four, is set for Monte Carlo on Thursday. The final is in Athens May 23. — Sapa-AP