published: thursday 23 february 2012, 20.56cet r. standard de liège 0-0 wisła kraków (agg: 1-1, standard win on away goals)
the belgian side secured their place in the round of 16 after being held by a wisła side down to ten men for most of the second half.
r. standard de liège advanced to the uefa europa league round of 16 on away goals after a 0-0 draw against ten-man wisła kraków in belgium.
gohi bi cyriac's first-half header was the only incident of real note before gervasio núñez picked up his second yellow card for bringing down réginal goreux on 63 minutes. standard controlled the game thereafter and, despite missing chances to clinch the tie, kept a clean sheet to reach the last 16. they will now face hannover 96 after the bundesliga outfit eliminated another belgian side, club brugge kv.
after a cautious start from both sides, it took until just past the half-hour mark for the first meaningful attempt on goal. cyriac, scorer of standard's penalty in the first leg, stole a march on júnior díaz but headed sébastien pocognoli's free-kick harmlessly past the right-hand post.
the hosts struggled to break down a resilient wisła defence with mohamed tchite's 58th-minute effort from distance, which failed to trouble sergei pareiko, a sign of their growing frustration. ındeed, the belgian outfit were in the ascendency when núñez received his marching orders just past the hour for bringing down goreux. the standard skipper's own booking ten minutes earlier means he will be suspended for the round of 16 first leg.
the hosts failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage and seal the tie, with cyriac wasteful on the counterattack and substitute michy batshuayi spurning good chances late on. wisła replacement andraž kirm's scuffed shot from maor melikson's centre was the closest kazimierz moskal's men came to a winning goal as standard held on.
standard will play the first leg of their last 16 tie at home on 8 march before the return in hannover a week later.
