Steaua claim UEFA Cup spot

FC Steaua Bucuresti booked their place in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup after coming from behind to earn a draw at home to FC Dynamo Kyiv in Group E.

Safe passage
Needing a point to ensure the outcome of the Matchday 6 ties were irrelevant to the race for third place, Nicolae Dica cancelled out Florin Cernat's first-half free-kick with an exquisite strike on 69 minutes. Steaua now travel to Olympique Lyonnais in a fortnight's time knowing that even if they lose and Dynamo beat Real Madrid CF, they will finish third courtesy of the 4-1 thrashing they dished out to the Ukrainians on Matchday 1. However, the visitors will feel aggrieved at having two goals ruled out at the Steaua Stadium.

Point to prove
Home coach Cosmin Olaroiu claimed his side had been in awe of their opponents in their previous three outings, but there was nothing hesitant about the bright opening they made to their final home game. Threatening down the flanks through Daniel Oprita and Banel Nicolita, Steaua fashioned three chances in the first ten minutes. Dica saw a goal-bound effort blocked bravely by Rodolfo, Nicolita hit the side-netting from an Oprita cross, then Cyril Thereau thrashed an attempt wide after being sent charging through the heart of the Dynamo defence.

Shock opener
Steaua were making most of the running so it came against the run of play when Dynamo took the lead after 29 minutes with their first shot on target. A free-kick wide on the right was bent viciously across the face of goal by Cernat and crept in at the far post. It was the Romanian midfielder's third UEFA Champions League strike in his 19th apperance. The Romanian champions went in search of a swift reply and almost got one on 37 minutes. A deft, lofted pass from Thereau left Oprita one-on-one with Olexandr Shovkovskiy, but the forward was denied his moment of glory by a smothering save from the veteran keeper.

Enforced change
Anatoli Demianenko was forced to make one change at half-time, replacing the injured Rodolfo with Goran Gavrančić, but there was no sign of the technically impressive Ukrainians sitting on their advantage. Maksim Shatskikh went close twice while Oleh Gusev had a blistering long-range drive cancelled out for a high challenge by Kleber on Sorin Ghionea.

Key substitution
With time running out, Olaroiu sought to rouse the restless home crowd by introducing the inspirational Mirel Radoi for his first UEFA Champions League appearance on 67 minutes and within two minutes Steaua were level. A cross from Nicolita found Dica on the edge of the box. The 26-year-old cleverly switched the ball from his right foot to his left and unleashed a shot that deflected off Rodrigo and whistled past Shovkovskiy. Steaua were largely untroubled in the closing stages, though they did suffer a scare on 77 minutes when Dynamo had a second goal chalked off, with Shatskikh adjudged offside by the assistant referee when nodding in a free-kick from Cernat.