Celtic, Dynamo Kiev close in on Champions League group stage

Thomas Rogne and Celtic are in good shape to reach the group stage after a 2-0 opening-leg victory at Helsingborg

REUTERS

LONDON (AP) -- Glasgow Celtic and Dynamo Kiev moved into commanding positions to reach the Champions League group stage after road wins Tuesday night in the first leg of the final round of qualifying.

Kris Commons scored on a volley in the second minute and Georgios Samaras got a goal on a header off a corner kick in the 75th, giving Celtic a 2-0 victory at Sweden's Helsingborg as the Scottish champions look to reach Europe's elite club competition for the first time in four years.

Kiev rallied to win 3-1 at Germany's Borussia Moenchengladbach on goals by Taras Mikhalik in the 28th and Andriy Yarmolenko in the 26th plus an own goal by Luuk de Jong in the 81st. Alexander Ring had put the Ukrainian club ahead in the 13th.

Romanian champion Cluj won 2-1 at Basel on goals by Moudou Sougou in the 65th and 70th minutes after Marco Streller had put the hosts ahead in the 44th.

Spartak Moscow beat visiting Fenerbahce 2-1 on goals by Emmanuel Emenike in the 59th and Dmitri Kombarov in the 69th, with Dirk Kuyt scoring for the visitors in the 65th.

Cesar Santin scored in the 39th for host Copenhagen in a 1-0 win over Lille.

Second legs of the total-goal series are next Wednesday.

The other five first-leg games are Wednesday, with Anderlecht at AEL Limassol, Kiryat Shmona at BATE Borisov, Maribor at Dinamo Zagreb, Panathinaikos at Malaga and Udinese at Braga.

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