EL round of 16

Europa League in the conference, LIVE from 18:45

Jubilation among the AS Roma players ...

(Bild: AFP)

Liverpool and AS Roma have both recorded clear first-leg victories in the round of 16 of the Europa League! While the Reds won 5:1 at Sparta Prague, Roma disposed of Brighton 4:0 at home. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen, leaders of Germany's Bundesliga, turned around their first defeat of the season late on with a 2:2 draw at Qarabağ Ağdam in Azerbaijan. 

Roma thrashed Premier League side Brighton 4-0 at the Olympic Stadium and, like Liverpool, can already plan for the quarter-finals. The goals for the Italian top club were scored by Paulo Dybala (13), Romelu Lukaku (43), Gianluca Mancini (64) and Bryan Cristante (68).

Liverpool unchallenged at Sparta Prague 
Liverpool built up a comfortable lead in Prague in the first half. After Alexis MacAllister was fouled in the penalty area, the Argentinian world champion converted the penalty himself (6'). Darwin Nunez increased the lead in the 25th minute with a long-range shot that Sparta goalkeeper Peter Vindahl did not look comfortable with. The Uruguayan completed his brace shortly before the half-time whistle (45.+3).

Immediately after the restart, Sparta reduced the deficit through an own goal by substitute Conor Bradley (46'). However, the Reds restored their three-goal lead just a short time later through Luis Diaz (53'). Ex-Salzburg player Dominik Szoboszlai scored the final goal in stoppage time (94'). Prior to that, a goal by Mohamed Salah, who had supposedly scored as a "joker" in the 84th minute after several weeks out injured, was disallowed for offside.

Leverkusen make up a 2-0 deficit
Bayer coach Xabi Alonso rotated in Baku, with Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Jonas Hofmann and Jeremie Frimpong among those initially on the bench. Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who once again replaced captain Lukas Hradecky in the European Cup, had to make two saves in the first half. Yassine Benzia (26) and Juninho (45.+2) gave the underdogs the lead. However, Wirtz (70') and Schick (92') averted the first defeat for the "Werkself" in their 35th competitive match of the season.