Europa League wrap: English clubs through
7 December 2012
The English Premier League trio were joined by the likes of Inter Milan, Lyon, Lazio and Bayer Leverkusen in progressing to the last 32 of the competition.
Liverpool just snuck through to the next stage on goal difference after a 1-0 win at Udinese.
The Anfield outfit finished first in Group A thanks to the win, but with Young Boys and Anzhi also collecting 10 points, Jordan Henderson's first-half strike proved crucial as they reached the last 32 of the competition.
Liverpool took the lead after 23 minutes when a Stewart Downing corner – which Luis Suarez headed down to Suso – led to the only goal of the match.
Suso's smart lay-off created the chance and Henderson drilled a deflected effort into the back of the net after 23 minutes.
Henderson, Luis Suarez and Suso all went close to doubling the lead before Udinese, who had nothing but pride to play for, had defender Giovanni Pasquale sent off for a second yellow card with 11 minutes remaining.
The other match in Group A saw Young Boys defeat Anzhi 3-1 in Bern, although the result ultimately counted for nothing.
Tottenham finished second in Group J after a 3-1 home win against Panathinaikos, but it did not come without a scare at White Hart Lane.
Spurs – who would have been knocked out had they lost – surrendered an early lead when Zeca scored nine minutes into the second half for the Greek side.
And the visitors had chances to take the lead before an own goal from goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and a late Jermain Defoe strike sealed Tottenham's win.
Newcastle United also qualified despite Cheick Diabate scoring twice in a 2-0 Group D win for French side Bordeaux and a Stefano Floccari double helped Lazio to a 4-1 Group J success in Maribor.
Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 Group H draw against Neftci, Sami Hyypia's Bayer Leverkusen side made it four wins on the trot with a 1-0 success against Rosenborg in Group K and Lyon toppled Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2-0 in Group I.
Other winners were Hapoel Tel Aviv, Viktoria Plzen, AEL Limassol, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Maritimo, Molde and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
PSV Eindhoven beat Napoli 3-1 and Rapid Vienna and Helsingborg also won, while matches between FC Copenhagen and Steaua Bucharest, Partizan and Rubin Kazan and Levante and Hannover 96 ended in draws.
Athletic Bilbao and Sparta Prague played out a goalless stalemate as did Genk and FC Basel.
Teams to have qualified for the round of 32 are:
Liverpool, Anzhi, Viktoria Plzen, Atletico Madrid, Fenerbahce, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Bordeaux, Newcastle United, Steaua Bucharest, Stuttgart, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Napoli, Genk, Basel, Rubin Kazan, Inter Milan, Lyon, Sparta Prague, Lazio, Tottenham, Metalist Kharkiv, Bayer Leverkusen, Hannover, Levante.
Champions League qualifiers:
Dynamo Kiev, Olympiakos, Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax, Chelsea, BATE, Benfica, Cluj.