Gunners, Schalke and Basel qualify for CL
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Arsenal will play in the Champions League for a 16th consecutive season, and Schalke scraped into the group stage along with them after beating PAOK Salonika in a thrilling encounter on Tuesday.
With a 3-0 lead over Fenerbahce from the first leg, Aaron Ramsey netted twice to ensure Arsenal comfortably won the playoff 5-0 on aggregate.
“At the top level, the most difficult thing is to be consistent and of course it’s an achievement, but our ambition is much higher than that,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Arsenal has never won European football’s biggest prize or any trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
It was a nervier night for Schalke, which overcame Jermaine Jones being sent off to win 3-2 at Salonika and advance 4-3.
“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.”
Steaua Bucharest will be in the group stage for the first time in five years after drawing 2-2 at Legia Warsaw to go through on away goals.
Basel, already leading Ludogorets Razgrad 4-2, won 2-0 on home soil to cruise into today’s draw, where it will be joined by Austria Vienna, which squeezed through 4-3 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 at home to Dinamo Zagreb.
In London, Fenerbahce gifted Arsenal the lead after 25 minutes, with Ramsey providing the finish from close range.
The midfielder, who scored in Istanbul last week, volleyed in another in the 72nd after being set up by Kieran Gibbs.
There had been a blow for Arsenal early in the second half when Lukas Podolski was carried off on a stretcher with a left hamstring injury that is expected to sideline the Germany forward for three weeks.
“We paid a heavy price on the injury front,” Wenger said.
In Greece, Adam Szalai put Schalke in front before half time after Atsuto Uchida squared the ball to him.
Stefanos Athanasiadis blasted in an equalizer for Salonika at the start of the second half, and their chances of advancing improved after Jones was sent off 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.
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