LONDON, Aug 31: Former European champions Liverpool, Inter Milan and Marseille all advanced to the group stage of the Europa League after coming through their respective play-off ties on Thursday but CSKA Moscow crashed out to AIK Solna.

An 87th-minute goal from Luis Suarez took Liverpool through to the Europa League main draw with a 1-1 draw against Scottish Premier League side Hearts at Anfield. The draw in the second-leg put the Reds through 2-1 on aggregate.

“The objective was to get into the group stage and we got there,” Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers said.

Hearts, 1-0 down from the first leg, showed plenty of industry but rarely any creative spark as hosts Liverpool appeared content to play a waiting game.

The ploy nearly backfired when David Templeton tried his luck from 35 yards out in the 84th minute and goalkeeper Pepe Reina fumbled what should have been a simple save to gift the visitors a lead.

However, Suarez burst away down the left and managed to find the net from close-range three minutes later to see Liverpool through.

At the San Siro, Inter made life complicated for themselves with the 33rd minute sending off of goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi following a foul on Liviu Antal.

Unheralded Romanian visitors Vaslui converted the subsequent penalty to take a shock lead. Inter’s Rodrigo Palaccio levelled but Vaslui regained the advantage only for Fredy Guarin to grab an injury time equaliser to put the Serie A giants through 4-2 on aggregate.

Marseille survived a goalless draw with Moldovan side Sheriff, going through thanks to a 2-1 win last week, while Red Star Belgrade went out after a 3-2 defeat at Girondins Bordeaux, Yoan Gouffran’s penalty sealing victory for the Ligue 1 side.

Liverpool have Premier League company in the knockout stages as Newcastle edged Greek side Atromitos 1-0 at St James’ Park and 2-1 on aggregate thanks to substitute Haris Vuckic, on for the injured Ryan Taylor, who placed a fine curling shot from the edge of the area past the Greek club’s goalkeeper Charles Itandje, formerly of Liverpool.

Last season’s Europea League runners-up Athletic Bilbao were held 3-3 in Finland by HJK but coasted through with a 9-3 aggregate win.

The main upset of the evening came in Russia where heavyweights CSKA, 2005 UEFA Cup winners, lost 2-0 to Swedish outfit AIK who knocked out the Russians 2-1 on aggregate after Kwame Karikari grabbed an early goal for the visitors and Martin Lorentzon added a second in stoppage time.

In contrast, CSKA’s ambitious compatruiots Anzhi Makhachkala meted out a 5-0 drubbing to AZ Alkmaar, with Samuel Eto’o on the scoresheet.

The most lopsided result of the night came courtesy of PSV Eindhoven who thumped hapless FK Zeta of Montenegro 9-0 for a cricket-style aggregate score-line of 14-0.

In total 30 teams booked their tickets into the competition proper, as well as     Stuttgart who won their play-off against Dinamo Moscow on Tuesday. This group join seven teams automatically qualified and ten refugees from the Champion League play-offs.

The 48-team group stage starts Sept 20.—Agencies