Rossi’s double puts Villarreal in Champions League

Posted Wednesday, August 24, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

GENEVA (AP)—Giuseppe Rossi’s pair of second-half goals took Villarreal into the Champions League group stage by clinching a 3-1 aggregate win over Odense on Tuesday.

The goals from the New Jersey-born Italy forward and Carlos Marchena’s late strike gave Villarreal a 3-0 win that overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit in the playoff round.

“(It was) a difficult game but we played with great intensity,” Rossi said. “We kept to our plan of possession and stayed patient.”

Four-time European champion Bayern Munich won 1-0 at FC Zurich to complete a 3-0 aggregate victory, advancing with Dinamo Zagreb and APOEL.

Five more playoffs are concluded Wednesday to complete the 32-team Champions League lineup. UEFA conducts the draw in Monaco on Thursday.

Villarreal failed to convert early dominance into goals. Rossi leveled the tie in the 50th minute, forcing home Nilmar’s cross from the right, and 16 minutes later the Italy forward connected on Cani’s cross with a left-foot volley.

Both teams were then reduced to 10 men. Odense’s Bashkim Kadrii collected a second yellow card, and Villarreal’s Borja Valero got a straight red for butting Andrea Johansson in the chest.

Bayern has an extra incentive to succeed this season as its home stadium hosts the final next May.

Bayern’s plans were disrupted when coach Jupp Heynckes left Arjen Robben on the bench, after the Netherlands winger felt a recurrence of back pains.

Zurich is off to a slow start in the Swiss league but threatened in the fifth minute when Amine Chermiti fired a left-foot shot just wide from 20 meters (yards).

Two minutes later, the Swiss defense was exposed by a simple ball to Bayern forward Thomas Mueller on the right touchline. Mueller sent Gomez Gomez clear in the middle and the big forward slotted the ball low inside goalkeeper Johnny Leoni’s right hand post.

APOEL of Cyprus needed an 87th-minute goal from Brazilian forward Ailton, his second, to secure a 3-1 win on the night, 3-2 on aggregate, against Poland’s Wisla Krakow.

Croatian champion Zagreb advanced 4-3 on aggregate despite a bold comeback by Sweden’s Malmo, who were 2-0 winners Tuesday with goals from Wilton Figueiredo in the 69th and Pontus Jansson in the 86th.

Belgium’s Genk and Israel’s Maccabi Haifa were playing extra time after their tie finished 3-3 on aggregate.

In Wednesday’s playoffs, Arsenal takes a 1-0 lead to Udinese, Lyon has a 3-1 advantage in Russia against Rubin Kazan and Czech champion Viktoria Plzen defends a 3-1 lead at home to Copenhagen.

Benfica hosts FC Twente after a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands and Sturm Graz resumes in Austria at 1-1 against BATE Borisov of Belarus.

LONDON (AP)—United States defender Eric Lichaj scored his first goal for Aston Villa, helping the Premier League side reach the third round of the League Cup with a 2-0 win over fourth-tier side Hereford.

Lichaj was on hand in a goalmouth scramble to meet Marc Albrighton’s corner on the left and force the ball home from close range in the 80th minute.

Two minutes from the end, Nathan Delfouneso scored Villa’s second.

Premier League newcomers Norwich, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea were brought down to earth after being knocked out by lower-league opposition.

Norwich was beaten 4-0 at home by third-tier leader MK Dons, QPR lost 2-0 at home to Rochdale, which also plays in League One, while Swansea lost 3-1 at fourth-tier Shrewsbury.

But West Bromwich Albion triumphed 4-1 at Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers routed Northampton 4-0.