Five-time European champion Liverpool struggled to advance past Standard Liege 1-0 with a goal late into extra time to reach the lucrative Champions League group stage on Wednesday at Anfield.

Dirk Kuyt scored the only goal of the two legs in the 28th minute of added time, just two minutes before the game would have headed to penalties.

Meanwhile, Greek champion Olympiakos suffered a shock exit from the third qualifying round, beating Anorthosis Famugusta 1-0 but losing 3-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina and Marseille also advanced.

Arsenal, already leading 2-0, dispatched FC Twente 4-0, while Marseille beat Brann 2-1 to round off a 3-1 aggregate victory over the Norway club. Atletico overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit to rout Schalke 4-0, and Fiorentina relied on its 2-0 first-leg win to advance as it was held 0-0 at Slavia Prague.

Liverpool was again saved by goalie Pepe Reina, who turned back a penalty in the goalless first leg at Liege.

Reina dove in the seventh minute to repel Dieumerci Mbokani's effort from 20 meters, and the Spaniard was the only reliable piece in Rafa Benitez's team as Liverpool looked in danger of missing out on Europe's top club competition.

"We knew it was a difficult team to play against," Benitez said. "They played good on counterattack. It was difficult, but we were playing better than in the first leg."

On an anxious night at Anfield, Fabio Aurelio had a free kick punched away by Liege goalkeeper Aragon Espinoza while Yossi Benayoun squandered an opportunity after Steven Gerrard's neat pass, and it was the Belgians who looked more dangerous.

Marouane Fellaini's wayward shooting and Reina's firm hands denied the Belgium midfielder a valuable away goal.

Liverpool was outplayed and lacked guile as new signing Robbie Keane looked ineffective in his striking partnership with Fernando Torres.

Nabil El Zhar had a penalty claim dismissed when he was fouled by Onyewu with seven minutes remaining, but Ryan Babel was able to produce a spectacular cross that found Kuyt at the far post.

Olympiakos will have to settle for the UEFA Cup after Fernando Belluschi scored just once as the Greeks failed to overcome a 3-0 defeat to Anorthosis two weeks ago.

Anorthosis coach Temuri Ketsbaia said he hoped his team would "just play and have fun" in Europe's most prestigious competition.

"Our players earned this victory - this is a big day for us, it's like we won the Champions League tonight," Ketsbaia said. "When it was 0-0 at halftime it was looking good for us."

Arsenal denied former England manager Steve McClaren a successful return to home soil with Dutch side Twente.

Samir Nasri put the Gunners ahead in the 27th, while William Gallas, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner scored in the second half to seal a 6-0 aggregate victory.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily August 29, 2008)