Bayern, Villarreal progress

A first-half goal from Germany striker Mario Gomez was enough to book Bayern Munich’s place in the Champions League main draw yesterday as the German giants beat FC Zurich 1-0 in their play-off second leg clash to win 3-0 on aggregate.

Bayern will go into tomorrow’s draw as one of the ten play-off winners who join the 22 automatic entrants in the group-stage draw in Monaco.

Bayern – who are hoping to go all the way to the final which is being staged at their ground – join fellow German sides Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen in the main draw.

Munich had few problems in Zurich as the hosts rarely troubled Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer while Munich barely got out of second gear.

Coach Jupp Heynckes started with eight members of the Germany side in his line-up but without fragile Dutch star Arjen Robben, who is struggling to over-come a back injury.

The Dutchman managed to score in Saturday’s 5-0 drubbing of Hamburg in the German league, but sat out on the bench in Switzerland.

Having lost Croatia striker Ivica Olic with a hip injury for up to eight weeks after the Hamburg victory, the Germans must wait to see if Gomez joins the walking wounded after he limped off on 46 minutes, clutching his hamstring.

When the opening goal came it had ‘Made in Germany’ stamped all over it as three of the national side combined to pretty much wrap up the tie.

A superb pass from Toni Kroos on the halfway line allowed team-mate Thomas Mueller to dart around his marker and sweep up field, before squaring to an unmarked Gomez who fired home on seven minutes.

It was a smooth move finished with a well-struck shot which gave Swiss goalkeeper Johnny Leoni no chance.

Villarreal will compete in the group stage for the third time thanks in part to Giuseppe Rossi’s second-half double that earned them a 3-0 win over Odense BK.

For 50 minutes at El Madrigal it was the Stefen Wessels show as the goalkeeper did his utmost to preserve OB’s 1-0 first-leg lead.

Once Rossi scored for the sixth successive European home game, however, the outcome was never in doubt.

The Italy striker doubled his and Villarreal’s lead midway through the second half, with Carlos Marchena adding a third eight minutes from time and consigning Odense to the Europa League.

Apoel oust Wisla

APOEL Nicosia striker Ailton broke Wisła Krakow’s hearts twice in Cyprus, scoring for a second time in the return leg to send his side back into the Champions League group stage after Cezary Wilk’s goal for the Polish champions looked to have snatched victory.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, APOEL evened up the score with an own goal credited to Wisła goalkeeper Sergei Pareiko before deservingly taking an overall lead when Ailton darted in to finish from Ivan Trickovski’s cross.

Wilk then scored with practically Wisła’s only meaningful chance to put the visitors ahead on away goals, but Ailton’s swiveled to score the winner three minutes from the end.

Play-off round, 2nd legs

Group stage draw: Tomorrow, 5.45 p.m.