PARIS: Four-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam qualified for the Champions League group stage on Tuesday for the first time in four years, while AEK Athens and Young Boys Bern ended even longer absences.

Ajax went to Dynamo Kiev with a 3-1 lead and that was the final aggregate result after the Dutch team were held to a 0-0 draw despite dominating in an eventful second leg of their playoff.

Ajax, who last won European club football’s biggest prize in 1995, be joined in Thursday’s group stage draw by AEK, whose 1-1 draw with MOL Vidi of Hungary was enough for a 3-2 win on aggregate. AEK were last in the Champions League group stage 12 years ago.

Young Boys fans have waited 32 years since their team last played in Europe’s top competition. The Swiss team had lost in Champions League qualifying for the last three years but on Tuesday they beat Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in the second leg for a 3-2 win on aggregate.

The losing teams will play in the Europa League group stage.

Dynamo piled on the pressure in the opening 10 minutes at the Olympic stadium in the Ukrainian capital as Benjamin Verbic forced a good save from Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana but the home side soon fizzled out as the visitors displayed superior skill.

The home team’s keeper Denys Boyko pulled off a string of superb stops after former Southampton player Dusan Tadic hit the post with a 14th-minute penalty and Ajax rattled the woodwork again shortly after the break as Hakim Ziyech’s free kick cannoned off the crossbar.

Boyko produced another fine save to deny Klaas Jan Huntelaar in the closing stages but Dynamo lacked any bite up front and never came close to overhauling the overall two-goal deficit.

Tensions were high after Dynamo fans clashed with Ajax supporters outside a bar in Kiev’s city centre ahead of the game.

AEK, who last played in the group stage in the 2006-2007 season, had a seemingly simple task after their win in Hungary but were forced to hang on in a dramatic finish of the return leg in Athens.

Petros Mantalos gave AEK a 48th-minute lead with a penalty but the Greek side skated on thin ice after Loic Nego equalised on the night with a delightful lob and the home side’s midfielder Helder Lopes was sent off in the 81st minute.

Croatia’s success in reaching the World Cup final for the first time failed to inspire Dinamo as Young Boys reached the money-spinning group stage of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time.

Former French international Guillaume Hoarau scored twice in two minutes midway through the second half to silence a packed Maksimir stadium in the Croatian capital.

Dinamo seemed to be in the driving seat after Bosnia winger Izet Hajrovic fired them ahead in the seventh minute, sweeping home a rebound after the visitors failed to clear a fizzing low cross by Daniel Olmo.

The 34-year-old Hoarau levelled with a 64th-minute penalty and with the home side rattled, he turned the tie on its head when he prodded the ball home from close range after a corner was headed into his path.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2018