LONDON, Cody Gakpo’s stellar performance led Liverpool to a commanding 4-0 victory over Austria’s LASK, securing their place in the Europa League last 16 from Group ‘E.’ Gakpo’s brace, combined with goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah at Anfield, propelled Liverpool to 12 points.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will top the group, as second-placed Toulouse settled for a goalless draw against Union Saint Gilloise. The victory allows Liverpool to advance automatically to the last 16, while the runners-up will engage in a two-legged knockout round play-off in February against a third-placed team from a Champions League group.
Brighton & Hove Albion, experiencing European competition for the first time, extended their journey into the New Year with a 1-0 win over 10-man AEK Athens in Greece. Joao Pedro’s second-half penalty sealed Brighton’s triumph, while AEK’s woes deepened with a red card reducing them to 10 men in the closing stages.
West Ham United also secured a place in the knockout round, courtesy of Tomas Soucek’s late goal, earning them a 1-0 victory over TSC Backa Topola in Serbia. Soucek’s decisive strike one minute from time propelled West Ham to the top of Group ‘A’ with 12 points.
In other notable results, Freiburg thrashed Olympiakos 5-0, securing a top-two spot in Group ‘B.’ Villarreal progressed with a 3-2 win over Panathinaikos in Group ‘F,’ and Stade Rennais claimed a 3-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa in Group ‘F,’ played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest due to UEFA sanctions against matches in Israel.
Atalanta secured top spot in Group ‘D’ with 11 points after a 1-1 draw against Sporting Lisbon. AS Roma drew 1-1 against Servette in Group ‘G,’ with Slavia Prague winning 3-2 against Sheriff.
In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa overcame crowd troubles with a 2-1 win against Legia Warsaw. PAOK secured a 2-1 away win at Eintracht Frankfurt, leading Group ‘G,’ while Club Brugge dominated Besiktas 5-0 to top Group ‘D’ with 13 points.
By Agencies
