Second-half goals from Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud put Arsenal in a strong position to qualify for the group stages of this season’s Champions League at Fenerbahce’s expense.

Gibbs opened the scoring in yesterday’s first leg of the play-off in Turkey in the 51st minute, netting from close range after good work by Theo Walcott and Ramsey.

Ramsey doubled the lead 11 minutes later with a low 20-yard effort which was too hot for Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel to handle.

And Giroud rounded off the 3-0 win from the penalty spot in the 77th minute, after Walcott had been brought down.

Although the Gunners lost defender Laurent Koscielny to a facial injury sustained in the first half, it was just the morale-boosting performance Arsene Wenger was seeking.

Wenger had challenged his players to rise above the negativity which followed the 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in their Premier League opener on Saturday and deliver the required performance at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

And despite being without several injured players in Istanbul, he got it as Arsenal limited the home side to a few openings and silenced the home support.

Fenerbahce, whose place in the European competition is still subject to a hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after they were banned for match-fixing, created little.

In contrast, the Gunners were lively throughout – despite being without several first teamers because of injury.

And the north London side were rewarded with a result which makes them overwhelming favourites to be in next Thursday’s draw for the group stages.

Greece’s PAOK will take the slenderest advantage into next week’s return thanks to Miroslav Stoch’s away goal in a 1-1 draw at Schalke .

The hosts looked to have put their stuttering Bundesliga start behind them when Jefferson Farfan opened the scoring, but the Royal Blues were punished for some complacent defending as Stoch struck what could prove to be a crucial equaliser for the visitors.

Salzburg appeal

Austrian side Salzburg have failed in their attempt to win reinstatement to the Champions League after being eliminated by a Fenerbahce side who had been banned over match-fixing then provisionally reprieved.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected an application from Salzburg for provisional measures to allow the Austrian club back into the competition, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said in a statement yesterday.

UEFA banned Fenerbahce for two years in June in connection with a domestic match-fixing case in 2011. The Turkish club appealed to CAS and were re-admitted to the Champions League qualifying competition pending their final hearing.

Fenerbahce then beat Salzburg 4-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round.

The play-offs round, first legs