LONDON, Aug 28: Arsenal made sure of a 16th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday, while Schalke 04 scraped into the group stage along with them after beating PAOK Salonika in a thrilling encounter and there were dramatic playoff victories for Austria Vienna and Steaua Bucharest.

The Gunners had more than one foot in Thursday's group-stage draw already after easing to a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in Istanbul in last week's first-leg and Aaron Ramsey netted twice to ensure Arsenal comfortably won the playoff 5-0 on aggregate.

Schalke 04 scored twice after being reduced to 10 men to win 3-2 at PAOK and advance 4-3, Austria Vienna — having apparently squandered their chance by conceding three goals at home to Dinamo Zagreb — produced a late rally to go down 3-2 and qualify for the first time while Steaua edged Legia Warsaw on away goals in another topsy-turvy match.

Swiss champions FC Basel enjoyed smoother progress, beating Bulgaria’s Ludogorets Razgrad 2-0 for a 6-2 aggregate success.

The five qualifiers will earn handsome payouts as each of the 32 teams in the group stage receive a basic fee of 8.6 million euros ($11.52 million) plus a million euros for each win and half a million for each draw.

They also stand to receive further income from UEFA's television rights and sponsorship pool.

At the Emirates Stadium, Ramsey scored in each half as Arsenal finished off outclassed Fenerbahce.

The Welshman swept the ball home in the 25th minute after Caner Erkin’s attempted tackle on Theo Walcott pushed the ball into his path. Ramsey then finished off a sweeping move with a delicate side-footed volley into the far corner in the 72nd.

“At the top level, the most difficult thing is to be consistent and of course it’s an achievement,” to qualify again, manager Arsene Wenger said, “but our ambition is much higher than that”.

Arsenal have never won European football’s biggest prize or any trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.

In Greece, Adam Szalai put Schalke in front before half time after Atsuto Uchida squared the ball to him.

Stefanos Athanasiadis blasted in an equaliser for the resilient PAOK at the start of the second-half, and their chances of advancing appeared to have been boosted by Schalke being reduced to 10 men when Jones received his second booking for fouling Dimitris Salpingidis in the 64th.

But after an exchange of goals, Szalai struck again in the 90th to ensure Schalke will play in the group stage for the sixth time.

“We make it difficult for ourselves,” said Schalke coach Jens Keller. “We let too many goals in these days. These are mistakes that should not happen. But what matters is that we are through.”

Austria Vienna became the first club from the country to reach the group stage since Rapid Vienna in 2005 with a 4-3 aggregate victory against Dinamo Zagreb.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg, the Austrians took an early lead on the night only for the Croats to score three, leaving them in the driving seat. However, a late Roman Kienast goal clinched the hosts' progress.

Steaua appeared to be cruising after Nicolae Stanciu and Federico Piovaccari scored inside the first nine minutes to put the visitors 3-1 up on aggregate.

Legia Warsaw pulled one back in the 27th through Miroslav Radovic's header and Jakub Rzezniczak netted in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but it came too late to prevent Steaua progressing on away goals.

Basel’s Fabian Frei and Philipp Degen each scored following corners as the Swiss side qualified for the fourth time.

Results:

Arsenal 2 Fenerbahce 0
(Arsenal win 5-0 on aggregate)
Austria Vienna 2 Dinamo Zagreb 3
(Austria Vienna win 4-3 on aggregate)
FC Basel 2 Ludogorets Razgrad 0
(FC Basel win 6-2 on aggregate)
Legia Warsaw 2 Steaua Bucharest 2
(Steaua Bucharest win on away goals; 3-3 on aggregate)
PAOK Salonika 2 Schalke 04 3
(Schalke 04 win 4-3 on aggregate)—Agencies