Standard Liege set up a last-16 date with Hannover after a 0-0 draw at home with Wisla Krakow saw the Belgian side progress on away goals.
Belgians through on away goals after 0-0 home draw
Standard Liege set up a Europa League last-16 date with Hannover after a 0-0 draw at home with Wisla Krakow saw the Belgian side progress on away goals.
A Gohi Bi Cyriac penalty for Liege in the first leg in Poland a week ago was enough to see his side through as Wisla saw Gervasio Nunez sent off.
Neither team showed a great deal as an attacking force in a tentative opening to the game, Lukasz Gargula's free-kick easily held by Liege goalkeeper Sinan Bolat in the first effort on goal.
The match did not improve as the first half went on, the game littered with fouls with neither side creating any openings from the resulting free-kicks.
From a foul by Osman Chavez on Mohammed Tchite, Sebastien Pocognoli sent in a free-kick from the right for the hosts which found Cyriac whose header went wide.
Under pressure
Wisla keeper Sergei Pareiko was put under pressure seven minutes before the break when he was forced to punch clear Pocognoli's free-kick from the left.
Pocognoli then blocked Lukasz Gargula's shot shortly before half-time as an uninspiring half came to an end.
Cyriac put a header wide, Pareiko gathered another Pocognoli free-kick and Tchite sent a shot wide from distance with Liege looking comfortable.
Wisla's job then became doubly hard when they were reduced to 10 men when Nunez was dismissed following his second yellow card for a foul on Reginal Goreux.
It meant they were forced to play a man down for 27 minutes and, given they had not been a threat with a full complement, progress seemed unlikely.
Pocognoli's free-kick hit the wall before Dudu Biton missed the target shortly after coming on for Wisla.
Biton's introduction had given the Polish side some impetus as they forced a couple of corners before Tsvetan Genkov shot over the bar with three minutes left.
However, Liege were maintaining possession, forcing two corners, and Michy Batshuayi twice had efforts on goal. It mattered little, though, as the hosts went through after a poor game.
