Wrapup 1: Soccer-Liverpool thump Toulouse 5-1, Brighton earn first European win

AFC Ajax NV

26/10/2023 23:25

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      Liverpool extend perfect record in Group E
    

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      European debutants Brighton defeat Ajax 2-0
    

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      Olympiakos end West Ham's long unbeaten run
    

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      Marseille, Roma, Leverkusen, Rennes all win
    

  
       LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Liverpool
thrashed Toulouse 5-1 at Anfield to reach the halfway point of
the Europa League group stage with a perfect record, while
Brighton & Hove Albion secured their first win in European
football with a 2-0 home win over Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday.
    Diogo Jota opened the scoring for Liverpool after nine
minutes, embarking on a solo run that saw him navigate past four
defenders before planting the ball into the bottom corner.
    Toulouse responded seven minutes later as Thijs Dallinga
perfectly timed his run from the halfway line into the box,
effortlessly slotting home in the Group E clash.
    The rest of the match belonged to Liverpool as Wataru Endo
headed them back in front just past the half-hour mark. Four
minutes later Darwin Nunez extended their lead with a shot from
a tight angle, capitalising on a rebound inside the box.
    Nunez nearly netted again in the 65th minute but his shot
from the right side of the box struck the post after a superb
run. Nevertheless, Ryan Gravenberch capitalised on the rebound
to score Liverpool's fourth goal.
    Three minutes into stoppage time late substitute Mohamed
Salah completed the thrashing with a well-placed shot into the
top corner from closer range, having bemused his marker.
    That goal took the Egyptian's tally to 43 for Liverpool in
major European competitions, a record for any player at an
English club.
    Liverpool top the group by five points over Union Saint
Gilloise and Toulouse, who both have four points.
    Union defeated LASK 2-1 with a late Cameron Puertas penalty
and winning goal from Christian Burgess four minutes into
stoppage time to leave the visitors bottom without a point.
        
  
        BRIGHTON ROCK
  
        Brighton achieved a European milestone by beating Ajax
and reigniting their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
They are now level on four points with second-placed AEK Athens
in Group B, a point behind Olympique de Marseille.
  
        
    
      
    
    
      
    
    
      
    
    
      
    
    
      
    
    3-1
    
      
    
  
        Brighton got a break three minutes before halftime when
Joao Pedro capitalised on a rebound from a save by goalkeeper
Diant Ramaj and slotted the ball into the net.
  
        The Seagulls extended their lead eight minutes after the
break when Ansu Fati received a lofted pass into the box and the
20-year-old calmly slotted home into the far bottom corner.
  
        The result leaves Ajax in a difficult position as the
Dutch side are now bottom of the group with two points.    
  
        The former European champions are also second-bottom of
the Eredivisie and 
    parted ways
     with coach Maurice Steijn on Monday.
  
        Olympiakos Piraeus beat Europa Conference League holders
West Ham United 2-1 in Group A to end the visitors' 17-match
unbeaten run in Europe. The Londoners remain top, albeit level
on six points with Freiburg who beat Backa Topla 3-1 away.
  
        Kostas Fortounis opened the scoring for the Greek side
before Rodinei's shot was sliced into his own net by Angelo
Ogbonna. West Ham pulled one back with Lucas Paqueta's volley.
  
        AS Roma maintained their dominant form in Group G with a
2-0 victory over Slavia Prague as Edoardo Bove scored after 45
seconds and striker Romelu Lukaku extended his remarkable streak
by netting in a 14th consecutive Europa League match. 
  
        Jose Mourinho's side top Group G with a maximum nine
points, three clear of second-placed Slavia.
  
        Bayer Leverkusen thumped Qarabag 5-1 in Group H as
Alejandro Grimaldo scored twice and Xabi Alonso's side now lead
the group with nine points, three clear of their Azerbijani
visitors.
  
        Stade Rennais moved top of Group F with a 2-1 victory at
Panathinaikos to move two points clear of their second-placed
opponents with goals from Amine Gouiri and Arnaud Kalimuendo.
  
        The Villarreal and Maccabi Haifa match has been
rescheduled to Dec. 6.
  

 (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
 ((TommyAlexander.Lund@thomsonreuters.com;))