Five-time champions Liverpool, who were staring at Champions League elimination, scored the sole goal of the tie late on to oust Standard Liege and qualify for the lucrative group stages on Wednesday.
Dirk Kuyt’s goal with three minutes to go in extra time propelled the Reds into the hat for Thursday’s 32-team draw along with Arsenal, who thrashed Steve McClaren’s FC Twente 4-0 at home for a 6-0 aggregate scoreline.
French First Division frontrunners Marseille muddled through after an unconvincing 2-1 home win against Brann to go through 3-1 on aggregate, while Atletico Madrid thanked the form of Olympic gold medallist Sergio Aguero in their 4-0 beating of Schalke 04 in the Spanish capital for a 4-1 overall victory.
Liverpool goal scorer Kuyt told ITV television afterwards: ”We wanted to play in the Champions League. We have been in the semifinal and final the last two years. It was a tough match but we believed in ourselves and it was a good performance.”
And on Liege, Kuyt added: ”They were tough, they were really fighting, even in extra time.”
The Reds lifted the European Cup for a fifth time by beating AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, then lost the final two years later to the same opponents.
Rafael Benitez’s side had been unconvincing all evening and the game appeared destined for penalties when Kuyt struck with a far-post volley from Ryan Babel’s deep cross.
For Liverpool, the goal brought relief after a stuttering display that will have reinforced their manager’s determination to bring in new faces during the remaining five days of the transfer window.
Benitez had attempted to downplay the significance of the first leg draw in the build-up to this game, insisting his side would be better prepared than they were when the two sides met in Belgium.
And while the Anfield club’s form had been disappointing in their subsequent two league games, they came into this clash having secured back-to-back wins and with a growing self-belief that their season was about to fire into life.
Down in London, William Gallas produced the perfect response to his critics as the Arsenal captain booked his side’s place in the Champions League group stages with a rare goal against FC Twente.
Gallas’s captaincy credentials had already been questioned after his meltdown against Birmingham last season, so when the France defender’s sloppy marking gifted Fulham a shock victory on Saturday, he was inevitably singled out for some harsh words from fans and pundits.
But Gallas led by example in the third qualifying round second leg against Twente. He was outstanding in defence and scored with a second half tap-in after Samir Nasri had given Arsenal the lead at the Emirates Stadium.
Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner scored in the closing stages to put the seal on Arsenal’s 6-0 aggregate victory.
It was their most emphatic performance of the season and Arsene Wenger must wish the Gunners could play Steve McClaren’s team every week.
”It was a big game for us and the response was clear,” Wenger said. ”There was togetherness and focus. That is what we wanted after a result like Saturday.
”We needed to be organised because they play a little with your patience. We were disciplined and focused and we were never really under threat.
”I felt the whole team was sharp. Physically we were much better than Saturday.” — Sapa-AFP