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Europa League round-up: Wolves, Celtic and Rangers progress to group stage

Eurosport
ByEurosport

Published 30/08/2019 at 08:13 GMT

Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker fired Wolves into the Europa League group stage after a 2-1 win over Torino.

Raul Jimenez

Image credit: Getty Images

Striker Jimenez struck his sixth goal in six European games to help send the hosts through 5-3 on aggregate in their play-off. Andrea Belotti briefly levelled in the second half before Dendocker struck to cap victory at Molineux.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side now wait for Friday's main draw in Monaco after battling through the qualifying rounds to extend their first European campaign since 1980.
Torino rarely looked like turning around a 3-2 first-leg deficit despite plenty of possession. They tried to force the early running and Daniele Baselli volleyed well wide from the edge of the box.
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Leander Dendoncker celebrates his strike

Image credit: Getty Images

But the hosts took the lead when Adama Traore was granted space on the right and, when he delivered a low cross, Jimenez got across Temitayo Aina to poke in at the near post.
With a two-goal advantage on aggregate Wolves finally settled but still needed Rui Patricio to gather Simone Zaza's free header.
Needing three goals to win Torino's hopes were fading but Patricio had to be alert to turn Baselli's angled free-kick behind five minutes after the break.
Yet the goalkeeper was beaten in the 58th minute when Belotti glanced in Baselli's whipped delivery from six yards. Wolves hit back, though, to restore their advantage just 103 seconds later.
Jota scampered into the area and, when Sirigu saved his shot, Dendoncker fired in off a post from 16 yards to wrap up the tie.

Morelos sends Rangers through

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Alfredo Morelos

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Alfredo Morelos sparked jubilant scenes at Ibrox as his injury-time winner against Legia Warsaw sealed a 1-0 victory that sent Rangers into the Europa League group stage.
Morelos headed home in the first minute of stoppage-time as Steven Gerrard's side successfully made it all the way through four rounds to qualify.
And Legia will likely now find themselves in trouble with UEFA after the travelling Polish support set off a spectacular pyrotechnic display that saw the game temporarily halted with the field shrouded in a thick blanket of smoke.
Rangers were forced to close off 3,000 seats as a result of the sectarian chants that marred their opening qualifier with St Joseph's, while the threat of a more severe punishment - including a full stadium closure - is yet to be decided after more chants were aired in Warsaw last week.
The Legia fans did their best to spark a response from the home support as they unfurled a banner apparently depicting the late Pope John Paul II, himself a Pole.

Celtic cruise past AIK

Christopher Jullien and Lewis Morgan scored their first Celtic goals as Neil Lennon's side cruised past AIK Stockholm into the Europa League group stage.
But the 4-1 win over AIK came at a cost, as a groin injury for Kristoffer Ajer made him a major doubt for Sunday's trip to Ibrox.
Jullien and Morgan scored from close range in the opening stages, but wingers James Forrest and Michael Johnston had done the damage in the first half as Celtic went into Friday's draw with a 6-1 aggregate victory over the Swedish champions.
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Lewis Morgan celebrates scoring Celtic's fourth goal at the 90th minute

Image credit: Getty Images

Forrest netted with a brilliant counter-attacking goal in the 17th minute, and Celtic responded immediately thanks to some impressive wing play from Johnston after Sebastian Larsson had levelled from the spot in the 33rd minute.
However, Lennon was left sweating on the fitness of Ajer with the first derby of the season against Rangers looming, while Odsonne Edouard left the field with cramp.
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