Liverpool on Thursday advanced to the round-of-16 of the UEFA Europa League with a game to spare after Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo scored early to set the tone in a 4-0 victory over Austria’s LASK.
Diaz headed in a cross from Joe Gomez for the opener in the 12th minute before Gakpo tapped in Mohamed Salah’s pass three minutes later at Anfield.
Salah made it 3-0 early in the second half in what was his 199th goal for the Reds.
Photo: AFP
Gakpo added his second in stoppage-time.
Liverpool moved four points clear atop Group E with 12 points.
Toulouse were in second on eight after a 0-0 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise.
Photo: AFP
Bayer 04 Leverkusen remained the only team with a perfect record after five games.
Victor Boniface and substitute Patrik Schick contributed a goal apiece in their 2-0 victory against BK Hacken in Group H, which earned them a place in the round-of-16.
Tomas Soucek struck late again to help West Ham United beat TSC Backa Topola 1-0 and advance to the knockout stage.
The midfielder met Maxwel Cornet’s cross at the far post to volley home the winner in the 89th minute in Serbia.
West Ham were tied atop Group A with SC Freiburg, who routed Olympiacos 5-0. Michael Gregoritsch had a hat-trick by the 36th minute. Kiliann Sildillia and Ritsu Doan also socred. The winners both have 12 points.
Brighton Hove & Albion advanced from Group B after Joao Pedro converted from the spot for a 1-0 win over 10-man AEK in Athens.
Olympique de Marseille forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s hat-trick included a stunning overhead kick and two penalties — one in stoppage-time — in a 4-3 win over 10-man Ajax to go atop Group B with 11 points.
Brighton trailed by one. AEK remained on four points in third, while Ajax had two.
Atalanta BC advanced directly to the round-of-16 despite 1-1 draw at home with Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting substitute Marcus answered Gianluca Scamacca’s opening goal. Atalanta won Group D with 11 points. Sporting were second with eight.
AS Roma’s 1-1 draw against Servette in Geneva allowed Slavia Prague to settle atop Group G following a 3-2 win against Sheriff in Tiraspol.
Roma trailed the Czech team by two points with a game remaining.
In Group C, Lukas Haraslin’s second-half curling shot from the edge of the area led AC Sparta Prague past Real Betis Balompie 1-0 in Prague to keep the Czech team’s home for a top-two finish alive.
Maccabi Haifa remained winless in last place in Group F after a 3-0 loss to Stade Rennais in a game played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest because Israel is not allowed to host UEFA-sanctioned matches due to the war with Hamas.
Also in the group, 41-year-old goalkeeper Pepe Reina helped Villarreal beat Panathinaikos 3-2 to climb to second on an all-time list of appearances in European competition with his 189th.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo has played more with 197.
Elsewhere, Rakow Czestochowa beat SK Sturm Graz beat 1-0, Molde and Qarabag drew 2-2 and Rangers drew 1-1 with Aris Limassol.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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