The winners of the Europa League group advance immediately to the round of 16, while the runners-up face a team that finishes third in a Champions League group in a two-leg play-off in February.
Liverpool defeated LASK 4-0 thanks to a brazen double from Cody Gakpo, while Brighton won 1-0 at AEK Athens on Thursday to move on to the next round of the Europa League. Along with goals from Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz at Anfield, Gakpo’s brace helped Jurgen Klopp’s team win Group E. With Toulouse in second place and Union Saint-Gilloise in the other group match drawing 0-0, Klopp can rest players for the final pool stage match for his squad.
The winners of the Europa League group advance immediately to the round of 16, while the runners-up face a team that finishes third in a Champions League group in a two-leg play-off in February.
“The most important thing is that we’re at the head of the group and that won’t change so that’s good,” Klopp stated.
“This game should have been over before halftime, even though there was some excellent football played. Although we didn’t do that, our 4-0 victory is amazing.”
Klopp made nine changes from the team that drew with Manchester City last Saturday, the Premier League winners. The only players who stayed in the starting lineup were Salah and Kostas Tsimikas.
In the twelfth minute, Diaz came up to meet Joe Gomez’s cross and scored his first goal at Anfield since August with a header that beat LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal.
After putting Liverpool ahead, Diaz assisted in setting up their second goal three minutes later when he found Salah, who set up Gakpo for a close-range goal.
In the 51st minute, after Lawal had fouled Gakpo, Salah scored a penalty goal for his 13th goal of the season to put an end to the outmatched Austrian team.
In stoppage time, Dutch forward Gakpo completed the devastation with a powerful strike.
In contrast to Liverpool’s extensive experience in continental play, Brighton is participating in Europe for the first time, and Joao Pedro’s victory in Greece will ensure that the Seagulls’ journey continues into the New Year.
Damian Szymanski fouled Joao Pedro in the 55th minute and the Brazilian striker picked himself up to slot home the penalty.
When Mijat Gacinovic was given a second booking for a foul on Joel Veltman in the 85th minute, AEK went down to 10 men and their destiny was decided.
Second in Group B, Roberto De Zerbi’s team is one point behind Marseille after the French team’s thrilling 4-3 victory over 10-man Ajax.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted the game’s winning penalty to complete his hat-trick for Marseille.
Ajax, who had Steven Berghuis sent off in the 63rd minute, were doomed to elimination in the middle of an abject season.
“Who knows how far we can go?” Lewis Dunk, captain of Brighton, stated. “We want to win it and you’ve got to dream big to achieve it.”
