Stuttgart, Olympiakos set to qualify

LONDON: Arsenal, VfB Stuttgart and Olympiakos Piraeus scored 2-0 away wins in their final Champions League playoff matches on Tuesday to take a big stride towards the group stage before next week's second legs.

Arsenal became the first English club to win a European tie at Celtic since Nottingham Forest in 1983 with a deflected William Gallas effort and an own goal from Gary Caldwell giving them victory.

Stuttgart won at Politechnica Timisoara in Romania with two goals in three minutes from Timo Gebhart, who scored with a penalty, and former Arsenal midfielder Aleksandr Hleb.