KUYT - File

LIVERPOOL, England (AP):

FIVE-TIME European champions Liverpool struggled to advance past Standard Liege 1-0 with a goal late into extra time to reach the lucrative Champions League group stage yesterday.

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

Among the teams also advancing to the group stage were Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Fiorentina and Marseille.

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 Norwegian club. Atlético overcame a 1-0 first-leg deficit to rout Schalke 4-0, and Fiorentina relied on their 2-0 first-leg victory to advance as they were held 0-0 at Slavia Prague.

Liverpool were again saved by goalkeeper 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 metres, 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.

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 unintimidated Belgians who looked more dangerous.

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