Gorica keep dream run going

NK Gorica gained a stunning 5-0 win at FC København to continue their dream UEFA Champions League debut as the second qualifying round concluded.

Rodic opener
Slovenian champions Gorica knew that a tie against 2003/04 runners-up AS Monaco FC would be the reward if they got past FCK, only for the Danish side to win the first leg 2-1 away from home. But Aleksandar Rodic gave Gorica a 28th-minute lead tonight on the counterattack, and they never looked back.

Victory complete
Jani Šturm put Gorica ahead on aggregate not long before the break, and on the stroke of half-time Miran Srebrnic headed in a corner to make it 3-0. Just seven minutes after the restart Rodic scored again, catching out the home side as they went for all-out attack, and Šturm's second 13 minutes from the end completed the 6-2 aggregate victory to the dismay of most the 13,621 crowd.

Brugge through
Also winning comfortably were Club Brugge KV. Two Boško Balaban goals had given them a 2-0 home win against PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv last week, and the Croatian claimed another double in Bulgaria as his side's 4-0 victory gave them a 6-0 overall triumph. Balaban's first came on 14 minutes as he finished powerfully, and on 44 minutes he headed his second after Gert Verheyen's cross from the right.

Saeternes scores
Lokomotiv had a goal disallowed for a foul midway through the second half, but 16 minutes from the end substitute Bengt Saeternes increased Brugge's lead. The home side had Alexander Tunchev sent off for a professional foul on Saeternes ten minutes later and Nastja Ceh converted the resulting free-kick.

Shakhtar win
Brugge now play FC Shakhtar Donetsk, who overcame Armenia's FC Pyunik 1-0 in Ukraine to go through 4-1 on aggregate. Czech international defender Tomaš Hübschmann scored the only goal just after the half-hour after a Darijo Srna corner, and Shakhtar strode through comfortably despite starting with only four regulars.

Danciulescu delight
FC Dinamo Bucuresti earned a tie against Manchester United FC after matching last week's 1-0 win against Slovakian title-holders MŠK Žilina. Ionel Danciulescu, who scored in the first leg, decided the tie 19 minutes in after a fine pass from Iulian Tames.

Dinamo hold on
Dinamo goalkeeper Cristian Munteanu was dismissed on 40 minutes for handball, but the home side kept control, although Žilina's Ivan Bartoš headed on to the post 14 minutes from time. United will visit Romania's 58,000-capacity National stadium next Wednesday for the first leg against Dinamo.

Wisla progress
Wisla Kraków also have a high-profile third qualifying round tie, but their progress to meet Real Madrid CF was barely in doubt after beating FC WIT Georgia 8-2 last week. Tonight on home soil Wisla won 3-0, Marcin Kuzba opening the scoring on 23 minutes and Temple Omeonu adding another five minutes after the half-hour. Damien Gorawski's second-half goal completed an 11-2 aggregate victory.

Tirana out
Ferencvárosi TC are also through, but their tie against KF Tirana proved far tighter. The Hungarian side had won 3-2 in Albania last week thanks to two late goals, and they needed both of them tonight as Tirana triumphed 1-0 with a 13th-minute Devis Mukaj effort. The aggregate ended at 3-3, but Ferencváros' away goals superiority saw them progress to meet AC Sparta Praha, who beat APOEL FC 2-1 tonight and 4-3 on aggregate.

Other ties
The other teams winning ties tonight were Shelbourne FC –- the only survivors from the first qualifying round other than Gorica - Rosenborg BK, Trabzonspor, PFC CSKA Moskva, FK Crvena Zvezda, Djurgårdens IF and Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC. To see reports on those games click on the links under 'related news'.