UEFA CUPA brace each from Pauleta and Bonaventure Kalou saw Paris St Germain safely into the UEFA Cup knock-out stages while a dramatic late Lucas Neill winner gave Blackburn a last-gasp victory over Nancy on Wednesday.
Dutch sides Ajax and Feyenoord, Fenerbahce of Turkey, Israel's Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish side Celta Vigo all claimed their place in the round of 32 draw after the penultimate night of the group stages.
Want-away Australian defender Neill scored three minutes into injury time for a 1-0 win which means Blackburn go forward as Group E winners and will face a third-placed side in today's draw.
Feyenoord finish third in Group E after a 3-1 win at home against Polish side Wisla Krakow.
Meanwhile, PSG's 4-0 win over Panathinaikos of Greece propelled the French side into second spot in Group G, assuring their qualification and easing the pressure on beleaguered coach Guy Lacombe, whose side had not won a match since Oct. 28.
It was the first home match for PSG since Nov. 23 when racist violence resulted in a policeman shooting dead a French supporter following the embarrassing UEFA Cup loss to Israeli's Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Kalou went close to giving the Parisians the start they needed in the 17th minute when he unleashed a terrific right footer from outside the box that crashed back off a post.
In the following minute Portuguese striker Pauleta was sent clear, but he dallied too long and a Greek defender got back to block his shot.
Panathinaikos, already assured of qualification, were content to counter-attack and Dimitros Papadopoulos tested keeper Mickael Landreau with a curling free-kick halfway through the first period.
Pauleta grabbed the breakthrough goal after 30 minutes when he played a neat one-two with Kalou and danced clear to clip his shot over Pierre Ebede in the Greek goal.
Hardly had the second half got under way than Pauleta struck again running on to a pass to speed clear of the Greek defense and hammer a low right-footer into the corner of the net.
A double from the impressive Kalou after 52 and 54 minutes ended the match as a contest and assured PSG would keep their season alive with an appearance in the last 32.
Hapoel Tel Aviv finish third in Group G after a 1-1 home draw against Czech side Mlada Boleslva.
In Italy, Palermo suffer an early exit after being held 1-1 by Celta Vigo in their Group H, with Fenerbahce finishing third in the group after a 2-2 draw against visiting Eintracht Frankfurt.
Elsewhere Former Champions League winners Ajax went second in Group F after a 3-0 win over SV Zulte Waregem of Belgium, who qualify in third.
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