Mixed fortunes for English Premiership clubs in crucial Europa league play-offs last night
Mixed fortunes for English Premiership clubs in crucial Europa league play-offs last night
Troubled Aston Villa suffered another damaging setback yesterday when they crashed out of the Europa League with Scottish hopes also suffering a triple wipeout.
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Villa, who saw Martin O'Neill quit as coach on the eve of the EPL kick-off and James Milner sold to Manchester City, were beaten 3-2 by Rapid Vienna in their play-off second leg giving the the Austrians a 4-3 aggregate win.
Liverpool and Manchester City were left as Britain's only representatives in today's draw for the group stages of Europe's second tier tournament.
Liverpool overcame a disastrous start to score twice in the last seven minutes to defeat Trabzonspor 2-1 for a 3-1 aggregate victory while City saw off Timisoara of Romania 2-0 at home for a 3-0 triumph.
At Villa Park, Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Villa an early lead but Vienna hit back through Atdhe Nuhiu. Emile Heskey then restored Villa's lead with 13 minutes remaining after Stiliyan Petrov had missed a penalty. But Mario Sonnleitner headed Vienna level a minute later before substitute Rene Gartler put the visitors through in the 81st minute.
Playing without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, Liverpool saw their 1-0 first leg advantage last just four minutes in Turkey when Colombian international Teofilo Gutierrez put the home side in front. But Roy Hodgson's side regained the initiative in the 83rd minute when Trabzonspor's Giray Kacar diverted a Glen Johnson cross into his own net. Kuyt then added the second on the night for Liverpool in the 88th minute.
Shaun Wright-Phillips scored his first goal of the season to help Man City beat Timisoara. Dedryck Boyata made it 2-0 in the second half.
Elsewhere, Juventus made made it to the next round when Alessandro Del Pierro netted a 53rd-minute winner against Sturm Graz.
Important results
Dnepr Mogilev 1-2u00a0u00a0 Villarreal
Trabzonsporu00a0u00a0u00a01-2u00a0u00a0 Liverpool
FC Utrechtu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a04-0u00a0u00a0Celtic
Aston Villau00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a02-3u00a0u00a0 Rapid Vienna
Juventusu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a01-0u00a0u00a0 Sturm Graz
Man Cityu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a02-0u00a0 u00a0FC Timisoara
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