MADRID — Holders Atletico Madrid were sent spinning out of the Europa League by Russian outsiders Rubin Kazan on Thursday while Champions League winners Chelsea scored with almost the final kick to scrape into the last 16.
— Reuters
Another Russian club, Zenit St Petersburg, knocked out five-times European champions Liverpool on the away goals rule while little-known Czech side Viktoria Plzen surprisingly won their tie against Napoli who are riding high in Serie A.
Atletico slumped to a shock 2-0 home defeat by Rubin in Madrid last week and were ousted 2-1 on aggregate even though Radamel Falcao’s 84th-minute strike earned them a 1-0 win in the return match in Russia.
Rubin will meet another Spanish club Levante in the last 16, after the Valencia-based side won 1-0 at Olympiakos Piraeus to knock the Greeks out 4-0 on aggregate.
Champions League dropouts Chelsea, 1-0 up from the first leg, went behind in the 17th minute against Sparta Prague. Stamford Bridge fell almost silent when David Lafata belted the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Fernando Torres had another less than distinguished game in attack for Chelsea and produced a hat-trick of near-misses in the first half with his right foot, left foot and head.
The misfiring Spaniard then failed to beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation in the second period before substitute Eden Hazard came to the rescue, cutting in from the left to send a searing left-foot drive into the top corner of the net.
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Chelsea next play Steaua Bucharest who edged past former European champions Ajax Amsterdam 4-2 on penalties after their clash ended 2-2 on aggregate.
Liverpool’s 150th appearance in Europe was an unhappy affair as they went out to Zenit on away goals after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate. Luis Suarez netted twice from direct free kicks to help Liverpool record a 3-1 second-leg win in front of a typically noisy Anfield crowd but Zenit hung on to set up a meeting with Swiss club Basle who put out Ukrainians Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Brazil striker Hulk, who also scored in the first leg, grabbed the all-important away goal for Zenit after 19 minutes when he dispossessed former England defender Jamie Carragher 45 metres out before running on to slip the ball past keeper Pepe Reina.
Tottenham Hotspur, winners of the competition when it was called the Uefa Cup in 1972 and 1984, looked to be heading out on away goals against Olympique Lyon until Moussa Dembele struck with a venomous left-foot drive in the 90th minute to secure a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
