PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Darwin Nunez scored twice to help Liverpool rout Sparta 5-1 and take a big step closer to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.
Nunez´s right-footed shot from 25 meters flew past goalkeeper Peter Vindahl to double Liverpool´s early lead after Alexis Mac Allister´s penalty in Prague in the first leg of the round of 16.
The Uruguay international’s first strike of the evening was the 1,000th Liverpool goal scored under manager Jürgen Klopp, whose team will host the second leg next week at Anfield.
In first-half stoppage time, Nunez let a pass from Mac Allister bounce in the right corner of the area before firing inside the far post for his second.
Nunez scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time Saturday to earn Liverpool a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
In Prague, Liverpool needed just a few minutes to go ahead, AP reported.
Mac Allister sent Vindahl the wrong way in the sixth minute to convert a penalty awarded after the Argentine was downed in the area by Asger Sørensen.
Conor Bradley reduced the lead to 3-1 with an own goal a minute after he came on as substitute at the start of the second half. Luis Díaz restored the three-goal advantage seven minutes later.
Dominik Szoboszlai added a goal in stoppage time.
Next for Liverpool is a seismic meeting at Anfield against Manchester City on Sunday.
In a positive sign for the Reds, Mohamed Salah returned from injury as a substitute in the 74th minute.
Salah thought he had marked his return with a goal, but a VAR review disallowed his strike for offside.
Instead, it was another substitute Dominik Szoboszlai who fired in the fifth in stoppage time.
Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen made a long trip to Baku and needed a stoppage-time equalizer to draw 2-2 with Qarabag and extend their German record unbeaten run to 35 games across all competitions this season.
Ruthless Roma
Brighton’s first foray into European football looks over at the last-16 stage after the Seagulls were thrashed by in-form Roma, AFP reported.
The Italian giants have only lost once in 10 games since legendary former player Daniele De Rossi replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in January.
Paulo Dybala was perfectly picked out by Leandro Paredes to open the scoring before Romelu Lukaku pounced on an error by Brighton captain Lewis Dunk to double Roma’s lead before the break.
Gianluca Mancini stretched to meet Stephan El Shaarawy’s cross 25 minutes from time.
El Shaarawy was also the creator for a brilliant team goal finished off by Bryan Cristante to round off a miserable trip for the visitors.
Two Brighton fans were stabbed in a robbery the night before the game.
Leverkusen are well on course to win their first-ever Bundesliga title but have work to do to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.
Yassine Benzia blasted into the roof of the net to give Qarabag the lead.
A brilliant piece of skill from Juninho to round goalkeeper Matej Kovar and slot home then had the Azeri fans in dreamland just before the break.
Alonso had rested a number of his key players and the Germans improved with a series of changes after the break.
Florian Wirtz was one of those introduced from the bench and his cool chipped finish 20 minutes from time gave the Bundesliga leaders a foothold in the tie.
Patrik Schick then headed home in stoppage time to preserve Leverkusen’s unbeaten record in 35 games in all competitions this season.
Seven-time European champions AC Milan are in action later as they host Slavia Prague.
Rangers travel to Benfica, while Europa Conference League holders West Ham visit Freiburg.
Discussion about this post