Racing Strasbourg, bottom of Ligue 1 and without a league win this season, secured their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup on Thursday with a 1-1 draw at AS Roma. Middlesbrough and Olympique Marseille joined them in reaching the knockout stage. Boro drew 0-0 at last season's semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar. Marseille overcame Heerenveen 1-0 with a last-minute penalty.
Strasbourg's UEFA Cup progress has contrasted starkly with their desperate domestic form, the French club without a win in 15 league games.
A point against Roma took them to seven points in Group E and they were full value for the draw in the Italian capital after defender Habib Bellaid had scored with a fine drive on 52 minutes.
Italy striker Antonio Cassano, embroiled in a contract dispute but restored to Roma's squad, equalised 17 minutes from time after firing in Shabani Nonda's pass.
Middlesbrough, who have seven points in Group D, soaked up plenty of AZ pressure at a rain-lashed Alkmaardehout. AZ, who have never been beaten at home in European competition, created the better chances and had an early Tarik Sektioui strike ruled out for offside.
Marseille made sure of reaching the knockout stage with a late penalty from Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo. The beaten 2004 finalists top Group F with six points from two matches and will qualify whatever the outcome of their remaining two games.
The home side created more opportunities but had to wait for a penalty in the last minute after Senegal striker Mamadou Niang was brought down.
HOLDERS WIN
Cup holders CSKA Moscow, with one point from their opening two games, maintained their interest with their first victory in the group, Brazilian Vagner Love scoring two second-half goals in a 2-1 home win over Levski Sofia.
Monaco inflicted a first defeat on SV Hamburg in Group A, the principality side prevailing 2-0.
Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor collected a pass from midfielder Camel Meriem to open the scoring just before halftime. The visitors had just had defender Khaled Boulahrouz sent off for a violent gesture when substitute defender Olivier Veigneau made it 2-0 four minutes into added time.
Serbia and Montenegro striker Danijel Ljuboja scored twice in the last five minutes, including a stoppage time penalty, to seal a remarkable 2-1 win for VfB Stuttgart at PAOK Salonika in Group G.
Stuttgart, trailing to Hristos Karipidis's early second-half goal, had midfielder Silvio Meissner sent off on 76 minutes for a second yellow card in the space of a minute but Ljuboja's goals turned the game on its head.
Stuttgart, unbeaten Rapid Bucharest and Shakhtar Donetsk all have six points.
Rapid coach Razvan Lucescu came out top in his family squabble with his father Mircea with the Romanian side winning 1-0 in Ukraine against Shakhtar, coached by Lucescu senior.
Marius Maldarasanu hit an 87th minute winner, cutting in from the left and blasting in a shot which took a deflection and beat Jan Lastuvka.
Zenit St Petersburg moved to the brink of qualification from Group H after two goals from Russia international Alexander Kerzhakov sank Sevilla 2-1.
The top three teams from each of the eight groups qualify for the knockout phase next year and will be joined by the eight third-place finishers from the Champions League group stage.
The final is in Eindhoven on May 10.
© 2024 Rediff.com -