Liverpool moved to the Europa League final 16 with a 4-0 win over LASK, thanks to Cody Gakpo’s double, while Brighton advanced with a 1-0 win over AEK Athens on Thursday.
Jurgen Klopp’s team won Group E with a hat trick from Gakpo and goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah at Anfield.
Following Toulouse’s 0-0 draw against Union Saint-Gilloise in the other group game, Klopp will be able to rest players for his team’s final pool stage match.
The Europa League group winners advance automatically to the last 16, while the runners-up compete in a two-legged knockout phase play-off in February against the third-placed team in a Champions League group.
“The most important thing is that we’re at the head of the group and that won’t change so that’s good,” Klopp said in a statement.
“There was some good football played, but this game should have been over by halftime.” We didn’t do that, but 4-0 is amazing.”
Klopp made nine changes to the team that drew with Premier League winners Manchester City on Saturday, with Salah and Kostas Tsimikas the only players who remained.
Diaz scored his first goal at Anfield since August in the 12th minute, racing past LASK keeper Tobias Lawal after rising to meet Joe Gomez’s cross.
After opening the scoring, Diaz set up Liverpool’s second three minutes later when he found Salah, who teed up Gakpo to score from close range.
Salah put an end to the outmatched Austrians in the 51st minute, converting a penalty for his 13th goal of the season after Gakpo was fouled by Lawal.
Gakpo, a Dutch forward, finished the demolition with a powerful strike in stoppage time.
Unlike Liverpool, Brighton are participating in Europe for the first time, and the Seagulls’ adventure will continue into the New Year courtesy to Joao Pedro’s victory in Greece.
In the 55th minute, Damian Szymanski fouled Joao Pedro, and the Brazilian attacker rose to score the penalty.
AEK’s fate was confirmed in the 85th minute when Mijat Gacinovic received his second card for a foul on Joel Veltman.
Following Marseille’s thrilling 4-3 win over 10-man Ajax, Roberto De Zerbi’s team stand second in Group B, one point behind.
Marseille’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick, including the game-winning penalty three minutes into stoppage time.
In the midst of a miserable season, Ajax had Steven Berghuis sent off in the 63rd minute and were doomed by their late defeat.
“Who knows how far we can go?” According to Brighton captain Lewis Dunk. “We want to win it and you’ve got to dream big to achieve it.”
Soucek comes in late.
West Ham advanced to the last phase after Tomas Soucek scored in the 89th minute to defeat Backa Topola 1-0 in Serbia.
Second-placed Freiburg defeated Olympiakos 5-0 to advance to the last phase, joining Group A leaders West Ham.
After third-placed Sparta Prague defeated leaders Real Betis 1-0, and second-placed Rangers drew 1-1 with Aris Limassol, there is a three-way struggle for qualification from Group C.
Atalanta finished first in Group D following a 1-1 tie with Sporting Lisbon, who also advanced to the next stage.
Rennes’ 3-0 success over Maccabi Haifa propelled the French team to the top of Group F and into the knockout phase, where Villarreal joined them after a 3-2 triumph over Panathinaikos.
Slavia Prague moved from Group G with a 3-2 win at Sheriff, while Roma advanced with a 1-1 draw at Servette.
Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the last 16 after defeating Hacken 2-0 in Group H.
In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Legia Warsaw was marred by crowd disturbance, with three police officers hurt in fights with Polish fans.
Following the pre-match rioting, which included flares and missiles thrown at police, Legia supporters were barred from entering the stadium.