Champions League
Porto, Celtic crash out of Champions League
Porto were knocked out of the Champions League after losing to Russia’s FC Krasnodar on away goals. Celtic also blew a two-goal lead to lose to CFR Cluj.
Porto were knocked out of the Champions League after losing to Russia’s FC Krasnodar on away goals, while last season’s semi-finalists Ajax survived a scare to make the final play-off round.
Scottish champions, Celtic, lost 4-3 at home to CFR Cluj – and 5-4 on aggregate – despite leading twice against the Romanians.
Celtic trailed 2-1 on aggregate at half-time after Cirpian Deac headed Cluj into the lead, but appeared to have turned the tie around with goals from James Forrest and Odsonne Edouard.
However, Billel Omrani converted a penalty after captain Scott Brown handled and, although Ryan Christie restored Celtic’s lead again, Omrani and George Tucudean struck to earn Cluj a shock win.
For Porto, it is the first time the 2004 winners missed out on the Champions League group stages since the 2010-11 season.
The Portuguese side led 1-0 from the first-leg, but were 3-0 down after 34 minutes at the Estadio do Dragao.
Despite second-half goals from Ze Luis and Luis Diaz they lost 3-2.
Ajax came from a goal down to beat Greek Champions PAOK 3-2 at home, to win 5-4 on aggregate.
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Dusan Tadic missed a penalty in the 32nd minute after Diego Biseswar’s opener, but the Serbian made amends as he scored from the spot just before half-time.
Nicolas Tagliafico doubled Ajax’s lead with 11 minutes left, before Tadic scored a second penalty in the 85th minute to make it 3-1, with Biseswar getting his second for the visitors in injury time.
The Dutch champions will next play Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia for a place in the Champions League group stages.
Elsewhere, former champions Red Star Belgrade beat FC Copenhagen 7-6 on penalties in a shootout that saw nine out of the 22 penalties taken missed.
The game had earlier ended 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate) in Denmark.
Club Bruges are also through after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine, to win 4-3 on aggregate. The game saw both teams have a player sent off late on and both sides score injury-time goals.
