L is favoured t

GENEVA -- Former European Cup winners Porto and Celtic took big steps toward the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, as home teams struggled in their playoff round, first-leg matches. cheap jerseys from china . Two-time champion Porto won 1-0 in Lille, and Celtic took advantage of a reprieve from UEFA to play in the competition by drawing 1-1 at Maribor. Russian league leader Zenit St. Petersburgs 1-0 victory at Standard Liege helped ensure all five home teams failed to win. APOEL is favoured to advance next week in Cyprus after drawing 1-1 against Aalborg in Denmark. BATE Borisov took a 1-1 draw back to Belarus after Slovan Bratislava got an 80th-minute equalizer from veteran Slovakia forward Robert Vittek. Second-leg matches are played next Tuesday, two days before the 32-team group stage is drawn in Monaco. Each club is then guaranteed at last 8.6 million euros ($11.5 million) in prize money from UEFA. Porto and Lille both finished third in their national leagues last season, and it was Portugal which looked the classier act on this evidence. The only goal, in the 61st minute, had a World Cup flavour to it. Portos Mexico midfielder Hector Herrera pounced from close-range after Lilles Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama parried a header by Jackson Martinez, the Colombia forward. Lille rarely threatened, though defender Sebastien Corchia shot over from eight meters (yards) in the 45th after his first shot was blocked. Celtic, the 1967 champion, owed its appearance in the playoffs to UEFAs lawyers after losing home and away to previous opponent Legia Warsaw. Celtic advanced when the Polish champion was punished for fielding a suspended player. The Scottish side led in the sixth minute from a third goal in the competition by Callum McGregor, who seized on a loose ball after Jo Inge Bergets shot was saved. Maribor, seeking a first group-stage appearance for 15 years, levelled eight minutes with Damjan Bohars goal. Celtic would have retaken the lead but Stefan Johansen, standing on the goalline, inadvertently blocked teammate Virgil van Dijks header. After four straight wins in its national league, coach Andre Villas-Boas Zenit team also won in Belgium. Brazil forward Hulks pass across the penalty box set up Oleg Shatovs winning goal in the 16th minute. APOEL, a surprise quarterfinalist three seasons ago, made its first shot on target count in the 54th minute at Aalborg. Brazilian midfielder Vinicius finished a surging run into the penalty area with a rising shot into the net. The Danish champion Aalborg had dominated the first half and took the lead with Nicolaj Thomsens shot in the 16th from 15 metres (yards). BATE are well set to reach the group stage for the fourth time since 2008. It led with a 44th-minute own goal by Slovan defender Tomas Jablonsky. Vittek, whose four goals at the 2010 World Cup included two to eliminate defending champion Italy, came off the bench late to level the match with a left-foot shot from a tight angle. 17:22ET 20-08-14 wholesale jerseys . He didnt even match his first-half total from Friday night. He didnt have to, with the Knicks offering him plenty of support for a change. Cheap Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . </br></br> Apparently this took place at a soccer stadium for a club match in Brazil. SUNRISE, Fla. -- There were smiles, hugs and back slaps all around in the Florida Panthers locker room. The Panthers clinched the first division title in franchise history, getting first-period goals from Marcel Goc and John Madden and 34 saves from Scott Clemmensen to beat the Carolina Panthers 4-1 and wrap up the Southeast crown on Saturday night. With the victory, the Panthers could celebrate their entry into the playoffs on a winning note, and at the end they embraced in front of their net and raised their sticks. This time, it wasnt to wave goodbye to their long-suffering fans, who have waited since 2000 for the Panthers to make the playoffs. Stephen Weiss -- whos headed to the playoffs for the first time after making his NHL debut with the Panthers 10 years ago -- also scored for Florida, which clinched the No. 3 seed and will play sixth-seeded New Jersey in the opening round. "Pretty awesome," said a tired but elated Weiss, sporting a Southeast Division championship shirt and hat. "Its a surreal feeling, it hasnt been easy all year and it wasnt easy tonight. That team pushed hard but we found a way to win and win the division, which is what we wanted." Mikael Samuelsson added an empty-net goal with 1:24 left. Joni Pitkanen scored and Brian Boucher made 22 saves for Carolina, which finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with 82 points. The Panthers needed to get a point to wrap up the division after Washington beat the New York Rangers earlier Saturday. By the time the Capitals game went final, Florida already had a 3-0 lead. And unlike Tuesday against Winnipeg, this one stayed safe. The Panthers came in on a season-high five-game losing streak, but jumped out quickly to take control. Goc scored at 4:02 of the first, and Madden -- brought in to give the Panthers plenty of veteran playoff experience -- connected for his third of the season at 6:43 of the opening period. "For us to score two goals right off the bat, it gives you the margin of error that youre looking for, especially for this big game for us here," Clemmensen said. Weiss scored a power-play goal at 10:06 of the second to make it 3-0. Mikael Samuelsson fired a shot from the point that was blocked but Weiss put in the rebound on Bouchers stick side for his 20th goal of the season -- the fourth 20-goal season ffor Weiss and third in a row. cheap nfl jerseys. . "Its a great feeling to be in the playoffs and to finish it off tonight at home, with our last home game not going the way we wanted against Winnipeg, that was tough to swallow, but this was in front of our home fans," Weiss said. "They deserve it. Theyve been great throughout the year and over the last 10 years sticking with us. Im happy for them." The Hurricanes made it 3-1 on Pitkanens power-play goal at 8:26 of the third. The Hurricanes won the faceoff and Pitkanens slap shot from the point got past Clemmensen. For Florida, its about winning now, with the first playoff games for the franchise since 2000 now looming. "It wasnt given, thats for sure. Thats been an earned title," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. For Carolina, Saturday was about a glimpse of the future. "Weve got some guys unhappy we didnt make the playoffs so thats good, that hunger is there," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. "They played hard and weve got a good core of guys here weve got to keep building on." Highly touted Carolina forward Jeremy Welsh made his NHL debut. Welsh was signed not long after his college season ended Thursday night when Union lost to Ferris State in the Frozen Four semifinals in Tampa. The Hurricanes presented him with a contract shortly after that game, and Welsh signed it in time to make the 4-hour drive across the state and join his new NHL club for its finale. "I just tried to stay calm. I wasnt letting everything creep in, a lifetime of work to get here," Welsh said. "When I board the plane and head home it will probably hit me." The Panthers will open at home against New Jersey. Dineen indicated the game will probably be Thursday. "Playoffs are up and down and whoever can stay level throughout the series is going to have a great chance of winning," said Panthers defenceman Brian Campbell, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks before this season and has made the playoffs seven straight years. "Nice to get to this spot again. Its a long season and this is where the fun starts. Were looking forward to getting this place rockin come game one." NOTES: The NHL plans to release the full playoff schedule Sunday. ... Carolina missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' '