Europa League Qualifying Round Results: Tottenham wins and Swansea lose as both clubs advance after second leg on aggregate

Aug 4, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; A ball lies on the field before the first half of the Internazionale and Valencia match at Metlife Stadium. Valencia won the match 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

With their two leg qualification playoffs for the 2013/14 Europa League essentially in the bag after blowout wins the previous week in the first legs, EPL clubs Tottenham and Swansea went on different paths on Thursday when the two sides finished off their play in rounds into Europe’s other top European club tournament.

Tottenham got the advantage of another strong performance from their depth unit to win 3-nil while the less deep Swansea were not so lucky, dropping a 2-1 scoreline despite advancing quite easily on aggregate 6-3.

Jermain Defoe would be the hero for Spurs, scoring a brace to delight White Hart Lane after being left off the team sheet from manager Andres Villas Boas to start the EPL campaign.

With £60 million worth of new signings added to this squad this summer, and at least another three players on their way in, there has been little talk of the importance of the likes of Jermain Defoe and Lewis Holtby to the new Tottenham so far this season. Yet on Thursday that quality was very clear as Holtby and Defoe showed why they were quality starting players for the North London club last season.

Dinamo Tbilisi were no match for Tottenham, even with the chance of Spurs letting off the gas up 5-nil on aggregate after the first leg. The second string players embraced the chance of getting to shine in some midweek Europa League action, something that will aid the club as they try to manage qualifying for next year’s Champions League with a top four EPL finish at the same time as advancing through the Europa League Group Stage.

Swansea were less successful with a large lead at their disposal on Thursday, suffering adisappointing 2-1 defeat at the expense of Petrolul Ploiesti.

The Welsh club had held a 5-1 lead after their handsome win in the first leg of this play-off tie last week, but could not capture what they showed at home in Wales over in Romania.

The hosts never looked capable of turning the contest on its head but they did take the lead on the night through Njongo Priso’s 73rd minute strike, a goal that set off a wild turn of events in the game’s final 15 minutes.

Substitute Roland Lamah responded instantly for the Swans, but Hamza Younes headed home the winner for the hosts, before Swansea captain Leon Britton was sent off late in the match, earning him a ban once Swansea opens up Group Stage play.

The two clubs will now await the draw for the Group Stage, a draw that will include top clubs from the Serie A, the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and the rest of Europe’s top leagues.