AS Roma secured a spot in the Europa League play-off rounds, cinching second place in Group G with a resounding 3-0 victory over Moldovan team Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday. Meanwhile, Liverpool succumbed to a 1-2 loss against Union SG at Lotto Park.
Roma’s match saw Romelu Lukaku and Andrea Belotti netting goals during the first half, while Niccolo Pisilli added a third one just before the end of stoppage time.
Romelu Lukaku launched Roma into the lead 11 minutes in by expertly capitalising on Nicola Zalewski’s cross. After 32 minutes, Andrea Belotti widened this lead by heading a rebound from Zalewski’s volley into an undefended net, having initially been saved by Sheriff’s goalkeeper Maxym Koval.
LIVERPOOL LOSE TO UNION
Despite a 2-1 defeat to Union SG, Liverpool remains the frontrunner of Group E, with their spot in the round of 16 confirmed.
Union SG, despite this impressive win, failed to make the cut for the knockout stage, with this spot seized by Toulouse following their 2-1 triumph over LASK Linz.
OTHER RESULTS
Slavia Prague retained their leading position in the group, showcasing a commanding display on their home ground to outclass Servette 4-0. Scoring in the first half were David Doudera, Ivan Schranz, and Mojmir Chytil, who bagged a brace.
Joao Pedro scored a late goal to earn a 1-0 victory for Brighton & Hove Albion against French side Olympique Marseille to secure the top spot in Europa League Group B. Marseille will go into the play-off rounds after finishing two points behind Brighton with 11.
In Group H, Bayer Leverkusen extinguished Molde’s play-off aspirations with a decisive 5-1 victory, bolstered by an own goal from Molde’s Martin Ellingsen. Qarabag secured the runners-up position after defeating Hacken 2-1.
Spanish team Villarreal edged out Stade Rennais 3-2 in a lively Group F encounter, securing the top spot on the leaderboard with 13 points, just a point above the French team, whose last-minute equaliser was disallowed by VAR on grounds of offside.
