TWENTY-NINE of 32 places in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League group stage have been claimed following a trio of qualifying playoff second legs Tuesday. Benfica, Young Boys, and Malmo sealed their spots in the group stage, while Ludogorets Razgrad, Ferencvaros, and PSV Eindhoven are left to hope for next season. Benfica returned to the group stage, playing the last hour with 10 men at PSV Eindhoven to hang on for a 0-0 draw. A 2-1 win in the home leg last week was enough to lift coach Jorge Jesus’ team back into the Champions League elite after a one-year absence. Benfica defender Lucas Verissimo was sent off in the 32nd minute and the two-time European champion held out with a veteran back-line pairing of captain Nicolas Otamendi and Jan Vertonghen. PSV, the 1988 European Cup winner against Benfica in the final, wasted its best chance in the 62nd when Israel forward Eran Zahavi struck the bar with a close-range shot. Malmo’s Veljko Birmancevic has been a star of the Swedish champion’s progress through four qualifying rounds. The Serbia international’s fourth goal in five games — a free kick from distance — was key in a 2-1 loss at Ludogorets that carried Malmo through 3-2 on aggregate. Young Boys advanced with a second 3-2 win against Ferencvaros to repeat the first-leg result in Switzerland last week. The Swiss champion led early through defender Cedric Zesiger’s goal, then leveled at 2-2 early in the second half with Christian Fassnacht’s goal. Ferencvaros had defender Aissa Laidouni sent off before Young Boys’ U.S. forward Jordan Siebatcheu saw his penalty saved. The win was sealed in stoppage time by substitute Felix Mambimbi. Young Boys coach David Wagner, the former U.S. international, will lead his team back into the Champions League less than one year after being fired by Schalke during a Bundesliga-record winless run of games.(SD-Agencies) | 