Manchester City beat Faroe Islanders EB Streymur 2-0 to advance to the next round of qualifying in European soccer’s UEFA Cup on Thursday.
Martin Petrov opened the scoring and Darius Vassell got the second goal as City secured a 4-0 win over the two matches in the opening qualifying round.
City are playing in Europe’s second-tier club competition for the second time in five years having qualified via the Premier League’s Fair Play rankings, which take into account teams’ disciplinary records over the preceding season. Germany and Denmark also got fair play spots.
PHOTO: AFP
City, bankrolled by former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, appointed Mark Hughes as manager last month after Sven-Goran Eriksson left.
The club faded to ninth in the Premier League last season, eight points behind Everton, which clinched the sole UEFA Cup berth based on final league position.
The Premier League may have as many as five clubs in the cup should City and Aston Villa, who reached the second qualifying round through the Intertoto Cup, make the group stage.
In addition to Everton, Tottenham and Portsmouth secured spots by winning domestic cup competitions.
City had to wait until three minutes into the second half to add to their tally from the first match. Vassell darted to the byline and hooked the ball across the goal.
The Streymur keeper misjudged the cross, allowing Petrov to tap the ball into the empty net from close range.
Vassell wrapped up the win in the first minute of added time when he rounded the goalkeeper to score from a tight angle.
The match was played at Barnsley’s Oakwell stadium because the City of Manchester Stadium wasn’t ready following non-sports events in the offseason.
Elsewhere, Poland’s Legia Warsaw recovered from a poor first-leg display to reach the second qualifying round on a night with bags of goals and no real shocks on Thursday.
Legia drew 0-0 at home to Gomel of Belarus two weeks ago but showed good away form to win 4-1.
FC Copenhagen won the round’s goal rush award, smashing seven past Cliftonville to seal a 11-0 aggregate triumph following a 4-0 victory in Northern Ireland. Forward Jose Junior scored twice.
Fellow Danes Brondby made the second qualifying round after winning 2-0 in the Faroe Islands against B36 Torshavn to complete a 3-0 victory overall.
Moldova’s Nistru Otaci did well to hold Hertha Berlin to a goalless draw at home but the Germans had their minds elsewhere having claimed the first leg 8-1.
Irish side Saint Patrick’s Athletic beat JFK Olimps of Latvia 3-0 and Poles KKS Lech Poznan were 4-0 winners against FK Khazar Lenkoran of Azerbaijan.
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