Tel-Aviv fairy tale continues

Hapoel Tel-Aviv made history in the UEFA Cup as they became the first Israeli team to qualify for the last eight of the tournament on Thursday night.

Milan next
That they did it at the expense of former winners Parma AC with a stunning 2-1 victory in Italy was all the more impressive. Milan Osterc and István Pisont scored Tel-Aviv's goals to set up a quarter-final meeting with another Italian side, Milan AC.

Shoot-out in San Siro
Milan overcame Roda JC 3-2 on penalties at the San Siro after Marc Luijpers' second-half volley for the visitors had levelled the aggregate score. Roda survived extra-time with ten men after the dismissal of Regillio Vrede but could not survive the shoot-out that followed, Cosmin Contra converting the decisive kick.

All-Dutch quarter-final
Roda's campaign may be over but the Netherlands' two other representatives, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, both won to set up an all-Dutch quarter-final. PSV secured their progress through Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's 89th-minute strike away to Leeds United AFC, his header settling the tie after nearly 180 minutes of stalemate.

Van Hooijdonk double
Feyenoord, meanwhile, owed their passage to the last eight to a virtuoso display from Pierre van Hooijdonk. The former Celtic FC striker scored from two first-half free-kicks in a 3-2 victory over Rangers FC in Rotterdam as Feyenoord won 4-3 on aggregate.

Cúper reunion
Internazionale FC were too good for AEK Athens, hammering out a 2-2 draw in Greece to go through 5-3 on aggregate. They will face Valencia CF in the quarter-finals, meaning a reunion for Inter coach Héctor Cúper with the side he took to the UEFA Champions League finals of 2000 and 2001.

Valencia ease through
As with Inter, a weakened Valencia side eased their way past Servette FC with a 5-2 aggregate victory following a 2-2 draw on the night in Geneva. Juan Sánchez and Miguel Angulo were on target for the Spanish club.

Slovan success
Tel-Aviv do not have exclusive rights to this season's fairy-tale factor in the UEFA Cup after Czech underdogs FC Slovan Liberec dispatched French side Olympique Lyonnais with a comprehensive 4-1 victory. Slovan shrugged aside the switch of venue to the unfamiliar surroundings of AC Sparta Praha's Letná stadium, winning through goals from Jirí Štajner, Robert Neumann and Jan Nezmar (2).

French frustrated
The win gave Slovan, whose own pitch was not deemed suitable for the tie, a 5-2 aggregate victory and set up a quarter-final meeting with BV Borussia Dortmund. Matthias Sammer's side frustrated Lille OSC at a rain-soaked Westfalenstadion, holding their visitors to a goalless draw that secured an away-goals victory following last week's 1-1 draw in France.