Apoel pulled off a brilliant win in Azerbaijan to advance to the Champions League playoff round on Tuesday night.

After last week’s 2-1 home defeat in Nicosia in the first leg, the Cyprus champions had a big mountain to climb and that they did and got off to a good start  with a Tomas De Vincenti penalty 10 minutes before half-time, and Apoel scoring again which turned out to be the winner with Uros Matic scoring  after 68 minutes that gave Apoel  3-2 aggregate victory and a glamourous tie with last years Champions league semi finalists Ajax who beat Paok.

Apoel are now guaranteed a place in either the group stages of the Champions League or the Europa League.

PAOK Thessaloniki was eliminated from Champions League qualifying after losing to Ajax Amsterdam in the second leg of their third qualifying round tie.

Ajax, semi-finalists last season, came from behind to beat PAOK 3-2 for a 5-4 aggregate win over the Greeks.

Ajax youth academy reject Diego Biseswar fired PAOK ahead with a thumping shot at the Johan Cruyff Arena before Dusan Tadic, having had a penalty saved, equalised with another one before half time.

PAOK keeper Alexandros Paschalakis pulled off a string of superb saves but was undone by a Nicolas Tagliafico header and another Tadic penalty before Biseswar set up a tense finish with a stoppage-time effort.

Olympiakos Piraeus beat Istanbul Basaksehir 2-0 for a 3-0 aggregate triumph over the Turkish side.