Arsenal and Athletic Bilbao cruised into the group stage of the Champions League on Wednesday with home defeats of Besiktas and Napoli in the play-off second legs.
Arsenal edged Besiktas 1-0 — with Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez scoring his first goal for the Gunners — for a 1-0 aggregate win despite having French defender Mathieu Debuchy sent off 15 minutes from time.
Arsenal have not been absent from the Champions League since Arsene Wenger took over as manager 17 years ago.
On a memorable night in San Mames, Bilbao came from behind to beat brittle Napoli 3-1, with a brace from the ageless Aritz Aduriz, for a 4-2 aggregate.
Also on Wednesday, Bayer Leverkusen thrashed FC Copenhagen 4-0 to go through 7-2 — with a brace from Stefan Kiessling — and Malmo caned Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 to go through 4-2, with two goals from veteran Markus Rosenberg.
Arsenal were on a knife-edge throughout the match after the first leg 0-0 draw in Turkey. An away goal from Besiktas at any stage of the match would have put the Londoners close to elimination, as happened on Tuesday to Celtic at home to unfancied Maribor.
Newboy Sanchez scored Arsenal’s crucial goal just before half-time, after good approach play between Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil.
Sanchez came close to settling the tie with a second goal, but Besiktas came forward toward the end for an away goal that would save them.
Arsenal were desperate to hear the whistle after Debuchy’s dismissal, and Demba Ba missed a clear chance for Besiktas right at the nervous end.
In Bilbao, Marek Hamsik gave Napoli the lead with a shock goal, only for veteran Aduriz to turn the game around with two goals in eight minutes, taking advantage of some surprisingly appalling defending from the Italians.
Supersub Ibai Gomez clinched the tie by making it 3-1 to the Basques.
Tuesday saw Maribor, Zenit St Petersburg, Apoel, Porto and BATE Borisov go through.
