Liverpool advance in Europa League, Aubameyang hat-trick downs Ajax
Hindustan TimesLiverpool advanced to the round of 16 of the Europa League with a game to spare after Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo scored early to set the tone in a 4-0 victory over Austria’s LASK on Thursday. Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal during the UEFA Europa League group E football match between Liverpool and Linzer ASK Díaz headed in a cross from Joe Gomez for the opener in the 12th before Gakpo tapped in Mohamed Salah’s pass three minutes later at Anfield. Marseille forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's hat trick included a stunning overhead kick and two penalties — one in stoppage time — in a 4-3 win over 10-man Ajax to lead to Group B with 11 points. The eight group winners in Europe’s second-tier competition earn a direct place in the last 16 of the competition whereas finishing in second only gets a team a playoff against the clubs who drop into the Europa League as third-place finishers in Champions League groups. EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE Greece’s PAOK become another team to join Viktoria Plzeň in the round of 16 as a winner of Group G with a 2-1 away win at Eintracht Frankfurt.