Klopp and Xabi Alonso’s teams are the only ones (with Atalanta) already certain of first place in the group. West Ham, Freiburg, Marseille, Rennes, Villarreal and Slavia Prague also qualified
Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen join Atalanta among the teams already certain – after five days – of a direct arrival in the round of 16. For many others, who at least have guaranteed their play-offs, everything is still to be defined. This is the case of De Zerbi, who wins at Aek, and of Gattuso, who in a crazy match defeats a tenacious Ajax 4-3; Aubameyang’s overhead kick, scorer of a hat-trick, deserves to be framed. Among the Italians’ opponents, Slavia Prague in Roma’s group now holds the lead by gaining the three points at Sheriff’s home, while Rakow finds success on the Sturm Graz pitch in Atalanta’s group. Big celebration for Freiburg, who crushes Olympiacos 5-0.
Group b: AEK-BRIGHTON 0-1
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The start was favorable to the English, with Ferguson immediately making himself dangerous in the 2nd minute, testing the reflexes of Stankovic, who was good at opposing. Aek increased the intensity for the rest of the first half, Zuber’s deflected attempt hit the post in the 44th minute. The second half smiled on De Zerbi: in the 54th minute Szymanski’s contact with Joao Pedro was considered a foul after the on-field review and it was the attacker himself who converted from the spot. For the Greeks things get complicated in the 65th minute, when Gacinovic gets his second yellow card and leaves his side with ten men. However, Pineda almost finds the equalizer, but his diagonal shot goes wide (74′).
MARSEILLE-AJAX 4-3
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As on the way out, the show is also very enjoyable on the way back. In the 9th minute Aubameyang gave the French the lead with a penalty, one minute and it was back to parity with Brobbey, who completed the one-two with Tadic perfectly. Mbemba deceives Om with a header from a corner (26′), Brobbey again restores the balance with a goal from a true centre-forward on the half-hour. Upon returning from the changing rooms, Aubameyang produced the feat of the evening, a splendid overhead kick from Harit’s cross which put Gattuso’s team back ahead. The coach seems to calm down in the 63rd minute, when Berghuis is the author of a very dangerous scissors intervention which convinces Sozza to send him off with the help of the VAR. At the first distraction, however, Marseille is punished: Hylnsson crosses for the head of Akpom, who puts it out due to Pau Lopez (79′). In full recovery Aubameyang fixes everything again from the spot.
Group B
TeamsPoints Marseille*11 Brighton*10 Aek4 Ajax2 * = Qualified
Group e: LIVERPOOL-LASK 4-0
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The Reds were expected to dominate and so it was. Luis Diaz opened the hostilities in the 12th minute with a nice diving header. At the quarter of an hour the English already secured the three points, with Gakpo pushing Salah’s serve into the net with an empty net. Tsimikas hits the post from far away (32′), the third seal however comes in the 50th minute when Salah converts the penalty caused by Lawal’s late intervention on Gakpo (50′). The goalkeeper did well to block Elliott’s shot from outside, but he could do nothing in injury time in the second half on the Dutch winger, who scored the brace with a shot into the top corner.
TOLOSA-UNION SAINT GILLOISE 0-0
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The first half was preferable, in which the teams chose a more offensive approach and the pace benefited from this. The same cannot be said of the second half, in which nothing happens until the 74th minute, when Machida tries the winning deflection from a dead ball, but Restes is attentive and clears.
Group E
TeamsPoints Liverpool*12 Toulouse8 Union Saint-Gilloise5 LASK3 * = Qualified
GROUP G: SHERIFF-SLAVIA PRAGUE 2-3
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Very open race between Sheriff and Slavia Prague. The Czechs play the game and break the deadlock with Jurecka’s great backheel. Dumitrescu would have the opportunity to double the lead but his volley in front of goal hits the opposing goalkeeper squarely. Thus Sheriff equalized in added time in the first half with Tovar, who headed a free kick well. In the second half the comeback even materializes: Ankeye runs to the left and serves Mbekeli in the middle who scores an easy goal. In the 78th minute Zafeiris restored parity with a free kick and with injury time expired Provod won a penalty, which Tijani scored to seal the lead.
Group G
TeamsPoints Slavia Prague*12 Roma*10 Servette 5 Sheriff1 * = Qualified
Group D: STURM GRAZ-RAKOW 0-1
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Lots of duels in the middle of the pitch, the two teams are not very precise in the final metres. The Austrians are more proactive but not incisive, the few flashes are managed well by Rakow, who then punishes Sturm Graz in the 80th minute with Yeboah: the attacker is caught well in the area by Jean Carlos, the first-time conclusion to the far post it’s perfect.
Group D
TeamsPoints Atalanta*11 Sporting*8 Sturm Graz4 Rakow4 * = Qualified
GROUP A: FRIBURG-OLYMPIACOS 5-0
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You don’t need to wait long to understand how the match will go. In the 3rd minute Gregoritsch opens the ball with a nice turn despite the suffocating marking in the center of the area and five minutes later the Austrian concedes an encore with an imperious header from a corner kick. In the 36th minute the hat-trick arrived, once again coming off a cross from the left. Before returning to the changing rooms there is also time for Sildillia’s poker: this time Gregoritsch makes it easier for his teammate, who makes no mistake a few meters from the goal (42′). He closes the score with Doan, who takes advantage of an incorrect clearance by the Greek defense to beat Paschalakis for the fifth time in the 74th minute.
BACKA TOPOLA-WEST HAM 0-1
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The match between Backa Topola and West Ham was very blocked, ending without opportunities and above all without winners. The English, as expected, dictated the pace of the match without managing to get to the bottom of the Serbian wall. The increased pressure towards the end, however, produced the desired results: in the 90th minute Soucek cut well into the area and scored the success for the Hammers.
Group A
TeamsPoints West Ham*12 Freiburg*12 Olympiacos4 Backa Topola1 * = Qualified
Gruppo h: HACKEN-BAYER LEVERKUSEN 0-2
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Xabi Alonso’s team has no particular problems in Gothenburg against Hacken. In the 14th minute Boniface scores with a nice header, which puts the Germans in a comfortable position to manage the match. The greater technical rate, especially in midfield, facilitates the mission and Schick closes the matter in the 74th minute, with a precise right-footed shot following Stanisic’s touch.
MOLDE-KARABAG 2-2
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Juninho’s goal in the 12th minute was enough for the Azerbaijanis, as he entered the area and opened the plate to successfully aim for the far post. Jankovic’s shot lands on the crossbar a little later, Qarabag chooses to close. The resistance holds up until the 82nd minute, when Eriksen has the time and opportunity to tame a ball in the small area and equalise. And it’s Eriksen again who turns everything around, with a header from a corner (87′), but Mustafazada – central defender lent to the attack – sets the score at 2-2.
Group H
TeamsPoints Bayer Leverkusen*15 Qarabag 7 Molde7 Hacken0 * = Qualified
GROUP C: SPARTA PRAGUE-REAL BETIS 1-0
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A match without much emotion in Prague, which came alive at the start of the second half when Haraslin found the advantage with his trademark: a precise curling shot from the edge of the box, for Sparta’s lead (54′). Real Betis’ best chance was a cross shot from Isco which whizzed past the post, without hitting the target in the 81st minute.
RANGERS-ARIS LIMASSOL 1-1
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Scots and Cypriots share a point. The guests took the lead, with Babicka flying in, discarding Butland and depositing it into an empty net in the 28th minute. The Rangers equalized in the 49th minute, when McCausland found the far post with a precise diagonal shot from the right.
Group C
SquadrePunti
Real Betis9
Rangers8
Sparta Praga7
Aris Limassol4
GROUP F: MACCABI HAIFA-RENNES 0-3
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Monologue of the French on the neutral of Budapest. After an on-field review which did not generate a penalty – which in itself is news – Yildrim headed close to the post in the 27th minute. Three minutes later the match broke the deadlock with Terrier’s strike, at the start of the second half it was Gouiri who doubled the lead by punishing Maccabi’s outgoing error. The same Algerian scores a brace in the 58th minute, but his right-footed shot from the edge hits the post. The hat trick came anyway, with a splendid free kick from Rieder in full injury time.
VILLARREAL-PANATHINAIKOS 3-2
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All according to plan for Villarreal, who have the better of Panathinaikos. In the 29th minute, Baena’s touch opened the doors for the Spaniards, who in the 34th minute already doubled their lead with Comesaña, who showed his skills as a shooter from outside. At the start of the second half the gap widens: bad outing by the Greeks, Baena recovers and fires Morales’ left-footed shot who makes no mistake. The guests pulled back in the 66th minute: Ioannidis hit the post with a penalty, Palacios was the quickest on the rebound. The Panathinaikos striker makes up for it in the 81st minute, passing Cuenca and Gabbia and then also Reina, face to face with the goalkeeper. In the final Brignoli excellent with a double save on the two Moreno, Gerard and Alberto.
Group F
TeamsPoints Rennes*12 Villarreal*9 Panathinaikos4 Maccabi Haifa1 * = Qualified
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2023-11-30 22:27:31
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