💫 Liverpool, Marseille & Roma seal qualification to UEL knockout round | OneFootball

There were a number of interesting fixtures in the Europa League tonight, with several teams in a position to qualify for the knock-out rounds.

Read all about it here.

Reds seal qualification and top spot in fine style

Scorers: Díaz 12′, Gakpo 16′, 90+2′, Salah (pen) 51′

It’s top spot and qualification for Liverpool after a tenth consecutive home win this season.

Unsurprisingly, Jürgen Klopp’s men dominated the possession early on and took the lead in the 12th minute through Luis  Díaz. The Colombian powered home a brilliant header from Joe Gomez’s right-hand side cross.

It was two just four minutes later. After some pinball around the box, the ball fell to Mohamed Salah, whose sliced cross-cum-shot to Cody Gakpo, who had the simple task of slotting home from a yard out.

A third did not come before the half-time whistle but not for a lack of trying, as the Reds looked to seal qualification nice and early. Salah and Díaz were right amongst it while Kostas Tsimikas’ left-footed drive cracked the crossbar only for the offside flag to go up afterwards.

Salah did get his goal just after the break, slotting home from the penalty spot after Gakpo was taken down by Tobias Lawal. It was his 199th for the club.

After a quiet night in front of a rampant Liverpool attack, Caoimhín Kelleher was sprung into action when his defence went missing to allow Ibrahim Mustapha the chance to pull one back for the Austrians.

Kelleher, however, was quick off his line to stop him. A big boost ahead of an extended spell in nets for the Irishman.

He went onto make two more strong saves as Liverpool looked to protect their clean sheet.

Gakpo rounded off a great night for the Reds late into added time, lashing home after a great ball from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Rangers left ruing a missed opportunity

Scorers: McCauseland 49′; Babicka 28′

Rangers face a tough task to qualify after a draw at home here left them needing a result away to Betis in two weeks.

Despite having the bulk of the early possession, Rangers fell behind in the 26th minute. After breaking from defence, Aris played a long ball over the top which Shavy Babicka took down with ease, rounded Jack Butland and slotted into an empty net.

Rangers equalised early into the second half via substitute Ross McCauseland, who had only been on for a matter of minutes. From a Danilo cross, the youngster’s shot hit off the post and in to tie things up. It was his first goal for the club and what a time to get it.

They could not find a winner to leave their qualification hopes hanging in the balance.

Aubameyang and Marseille have the last laugh in seven-goal thriller

Scorers: Aubameyang (pen) 9′, 48′, (pen) 90+3′, Mbemba 26′; Brobbey 10′, 30′, Martha 80′

Marseille will need just a draw at Brighton in two weeks to seal top spot in Group B after a dramatic win over Ajax.

In a thrilling opening ten minutes, both sides scored within a minute of one another.

Marseille opened the scoring from the spot and via their most likely source,  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who made no mistake from 12 yards.

Ajax responded brilliantly and almost instantly from the kickoff. Some neat interplay around the box saw the ball come to Brian Brobbey who fired home in clinical fashion to keep his side’s hopes of qualification alive.

The home side regained the lead in the 26th minute when an unmarked Chancel Mbemba headed home a Jonathan Clauss corner. It was all too easy but it was an excellent finish it must be said.

Again, the lead did not last long as Brobbey got his and Ajax’s second just four minutes later. Steven Berghuis played the ball into the striker who turned and finished brilliantly from inside the box.

Early into the second half, Marseille took the the lead for a third time with a moment of pure magic from Aubameyang, who bicycle kicked home a Amine Harit cross. Simply stunning.

Despite going to 10 men when Berguis was shown red, Ajax came back again in the 80th minute, this time Ar’jany Martha finishing from close range to make it 3-3.

Marseille took their fourth and final lead deep, deep into added time as Aubameyang got his second penalty of the night and completed his hat-trick to cap off an incredible display and an incredible night of football.

Roma qualify but made to work a draw by Servette

Scorers: Bedia 50′; Lukaku 22′

Roma will fight it out for top spot in their group on the final day with after failing

José Mourinho’s side took the lead halfway through the second half via Mr. Europa League himself, Romelu Lukaku. Who else?

After some nice play inside the Servette half, Diego Llorente played a cute through ball to the Belgian striker, who curled home a left-footed shot from inside the box that gave the keeper no chance.

Early into the second half, the home side levelled things up, Chris Bedia taking the ball down inside the box before squeezing the ball past Roma keeper Mile Svilar.

Leverkusen make it 14 wins on the bounce with easy victory

Scorers: Boniface 14′, Schick 74′

Xabi Alonso might just have the midas touch as his side made it 14 wins in a row and continued their incredible season.

Leverkusen took the lead within 15 minutes, Josip Stanišić’s right-hand side cross coming to an unmarked Victor Boniface who finished with ease.

A fifth win from five games in Europe this season was sealed late in the second half, and again Stanišić was the provider. Bombing down the right, his low cross was brilliantly turned home by Patrick Schick.

It will take a serious side to knock them out both in Germany and in European competition this season.

Brighton through to knockout rounds after another famous night

Scorers: Pedro (pen) 55′

Brighton’s European adventure will extend into the new year after they sealed a top-two spot in Group B with another famous away win.

Roberto de Zerbi’s side got off to the better start in Athens, both Evan Ferguson and Simon Adingra coming close to opening the scoring inside the first 10 minutes.

AEK found their feet shortly after, having several half-chances, most notably an Orbelin Pineda shot being spilled by Bart Verbruggen. The Brighton keeper pounced on it, however, before any damage was done.

Mijat Gacinovic then beat Lewis Dunk but fired into the side netting as AEK upped the ante.

The Greek side came even closer right before half time, Steven Zuber seeing his shot hit the crossbar via a Dunk deflection. Brighton were holding on slightly as the teams went in at the break.

As it so often happens, The Seagulls took the lead against the run of play early into the second half. After being taken down himself, João Pedro stepped up to slot home from the penalty spot to give his side a crucial lead.

Things went from bad to worse shortly after when Mijat Gaćinović received a second yellow for a foul on Joel Veltman.

Ferguson really should have sealed the points and qualification for Brighton when he was put through one-on-one. Trying to round Cican Stanković, credit must be given to the AEK keeper who thwarted the Irish teenager.

Brighton held out for a famous win that sees them seal qualification and now head to Marseille on the final day of the group looking to take top spot and avoid a knockout round play-off.

Souček the hero once again as West Ham seal qualification

Scorers: Souček 89′

West Ham sealed qualification from their Europa League group with a late, late win in Serbia that also puts them top of Group A.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Irons had most of the ball in the early stages but it was the hosts TSC who fashioned the first chance, striker Uroš Milovanović testing Lukasz Fabiański with a low shot after the ball was pulled back to him in the box.

TSC came even closer just after the half hour, this time Fabianski denying Aleksandar Ćirković after Aaron Cresswell gave the ball away in a dangerous position. The Irons really struggled to get into their rhythm in Serbia during the first half.

The second half continued much as the first ended with David Moyes’ side unable to create, let alone take, any clear cut chances.

Just the game looked set to peter out with little to nothing happening, Tomáš Souček popped up with his second late winner this week, volleying home Maxwel Cornett’s brilliant cross to put the Irons ahead of Freiburg in the standings.

The goal and late win changes everything in the group, with West Ham now just needing to draw at home to the Germans in two weeks to seal top spot and avoid a play-off with one of the sides falling out of the Champions League.

Other results