Ludogorets' Tero Mantyla, front, fights for the ball against Basel's Giovanni Sio, back, during their Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Switzerland's FC Basel 1893 and Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, at the St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, Switzerland, Tuesday, 27 Aug., 2013 (Photo: AP)
Swiss side Basel eased into the European Champions League group stage after claiming a 2-0 home win over Bulgaria’s Ludogorets on Tuesday for a 6-2 aggregate victory.
Fabian Frei opened the scoring after 11 minutes and Philipp Degen sealed the win with a 79th-minute goal.
Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, who excelled in the first leg to notch a brace away from home and give Basel an exciting 4-2 victory, had a quiet game and was substituted on 70 minutes.
He had a tame low shot saved by the keeper in the first half before picking up a yellow card for a handball six minutes before the break.
Salah will have a chance to further enhance his reputation as an up-and-coming player when he plays in the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition. In a recent interview with FIFA.com, the 21-year-old said he had received summer offers from Fiorentina, Olympique Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur.
Fellow Egyptian midfielder Mohamed El-Neny, who earned a permanent deal with Basel in the close season after proving his worth in a six-month loan stint, was kept on the bench against Ludogorets.
Basel's three previous appearances in the group stage came in 2002/03, 2008/09 and 2010/11.
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