LONDON/BERN, Nov 2 (SW) - Arsenal defeated Sparta Prague to secure their spot in the second round while Ajax scored two late goals to beat Ajax and maintain their second place in Group B of the Champions League.

Arsenal - Sparta 3-0

Thierry Henry once again confirmed his importance for Arsenal when opening the score in the 23rd minute. The French striker collected the ball outside the area and curled it past goalkeeper Blazek.

With eight minutes left in regular time, Robin van Persie doubled the lead. The Dutch substitute received the ball from fellow countryman Bergkamp and struck for 2-0.

And Van Persie even got a second after another four minutes, when Eboué defeated a defender before allowing the Dutchman to score for 3-0.

Thun - Ajax Amsterdam 2-4

Ajax took the lead after 27 minutes of play. International midfielder Wesley Sneijder took advantage of the rebound after the goalkeeper had managed to block Anastasiou's strike.

But Thun would level in the 56th minute. A pass from Adriano was received by Lustrinelli, who got past Czech defender Grygera before striking the ball past Stekelenburg.

Ajax restored their lead in the 63rd minute when Greek striker Anastasiou received a cross from Ryan Babel before getting past Deumi and firing home past Jakupolic.

Thun equalized a second time in the 74th minute. Gonçalves found his way into the penalty area and allowed teammate Silvan Aegerter to have a shot on goal. His strike was deflected and ended up in front of Adriano, who could easily score for 2-2.

But Ajax eventually secured their victory in the 91st minute, as Nigel de Jong struck home from a distance of about seventeen meters. To make things worse, the Dutch side even netted a fourth goal two minutes later, when Boukhari scored from a Pienaar assist.