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Liverpool, Juventus advance in Europa League

LIVERPOOL put aside the uncertainty surrounding the club's search for new owners by producing an assured performance on the pitch yesterday to reach the Europa League playoff with a 2-0 win over Rabotnicki.

Captain Steven Gerrard scored from the penalty spot after striker David Ngog's headed opener to reproduce the result of the first leg in Macedonia last week.

The five-time European champions will be joined in today's draw by Juventus, another former winner of the continent's more illustrious competition.

Alessandro Del Piero's goal clinched a 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers to advance 3-0 on aggregate from the third qualifying round.

Stuttgart progressed with a 5-4 aggregate win after drawing 2-2 with Molde, Galatasaray routed OFK 5-1 in Belgrade to advance 7-3 on aggregate, and AZ Alkmaar went through despite losing 1-0 to IFK Goteborg thanks to its 2-0 win last week.

At Anfield, Liverpool's unwelcome qualifier provided a distraction from the ongoing tussle to buy the club.

Joe Cole, Liverpool's main offseason signing, made his debut yesterday in a central attacking role and provided the cross for Ngog to head in the opener off the underside of the crossbar in the 22nd minute.

Five minutes before halftime, Ngog was fouled by Fernando Lopes and Gerrard slotted home the resulting penalty kick.

"We've probably been written off a bit over the summer and I think everyone believes we can improve on last season," said defender Jamie Carragher, whose Liverpool side finished seventh in the Premier League last season.

In Germany, Timo Gebhart scored with a diving header two minutes into injury time after a mistimed clearance by Molde's defense to salvage a 2-2 draw for Stuttgart.

Molde, persistently dangerous on the break, scored in the 41st when Emil Johansson was left unmarked at the far post for a simple goal after a pair of defensive mistakes by Stuttgart.

Molde, which lost the first leg 3-2, doubled its lead in the 49th when Knut Olav Rindaroy broke through unchallenged to the edge of the penalty area and drilled home with a left-footed shot.

Pavel Pogrebnyak's glancing header from Gebhart's free kick reduced Molde's lead in the 54th.

 

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