Red Star, PAOK advance in Champions League qualifying

TIRANA (Reuters) - Former European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade reached the Champions League third qualifying round with a 1-0 win at FC Tirana and they were joined by PAOK Salonika who beat Besiktas Istanbul 3-1 at home on Tuesday.

Red Star, who won Europe's elite club competition in 1991, rode their luck in the Albanian capital and advanced thanks to a 61st-minute header by Portuguese striker Tomane after visiting goalkeeper Milan Borjan had made a string of good saves.

Canada keeper Borjan kept out several long-range efforts and deflected an Ernest Muci shot onto the woodwork before Tomane struck, while Winful Cobbinah missed a gilt-edged chance to snatch a late equaliser for the home side.

PAOK raced into a 2-0 lead against Besiktas thanks to a Christos Tzolis brace, who capped a raid down the left flank with a fine finish into the top corner before he bundled in the second from close range.

Dimitrios Pelkas made it 3-0 as he rounded off a swift break with a tap-in from five metres before Cyle Larin pulled one back for the visitors, when he slid in to sweep the ball home from 10 metres after good work by Tyler Boyd.

PAOK missed a chance to score a fourth in the 40th minute as visiting keeper Ersin Destanoglu saved Chuba Akpom's weak penalty while Besiktas had a goal disallowed for marginal offside in the closing stages.

In Wednesday's standout fixtures, 1967 European Cup winners Celtic are at home to Hungarians Ferencvaros while Croatian title holders Dinamo Zagreb visit Romanians CFR Cluj.

(This story corrects sixth paragraph to clarify that PAOK missed penalty)

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic)