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<\/p>\nWest Ham booked their place in the Europa League knockout stages<\/p>\n
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Liverpool joined Brighton and West Ham in booking their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League with a 4-0 rout of LASK on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
With Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise playing out a 0-0 draw in the group\u2019s other fixture, Jurgen Klopp\u2019s side confirmed themselves as Group E winners with a game to spare, avoiding the threat of a round of 32 play-off in February.<\/p>\n
Early goals from Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo were followed by a second-half Mohamed Salah penalty – his 199th goal for the club – before Gakpo added his second of the night in stoppage time.<\/p>\n
In the earlier games, Brighton and West Ham both made sure of progress, although the battle for top spot in their groups will go to the final games.<\/p>\n
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Lewis Dunk hailed a historic day for Brighton (Gareth Fuller\/PA)<\/p>\n
European new boys Brighton will continue their adventure into next year after Joao Pedro\u2019s 55th minute penalty earned a 1-0 win over AEK Athens in Greece, despite Albion being second best for much of the night.<\/p>\n
Pedro stepped up after VAR judged he was fouled by Damian Szymanski, and Athens were reduced to 10 men in the 65th minute when Mijat Gacinovic earned a second yellow card.<\/p>\n
However, Roberto De Zerbi\u2019s men remain a point behind Group B leaders Marseille, who beat 10-man Ajax 4-3 thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completing his hat-trick in stoppage time.<\/p>\n
The Hammers are also through after the in-form Tomas Soucek struck yet another late goal, getting an 89th minute winner to beat Backa Topola 1-0.<\/p>\n
West Ham will go head-to-head with Freiburg in two weeks\u2019 time to decide who tops Group A after the Germans thrashed Olympiacos 5-0 as Michael Gregoritsch scored a first-half hat-trick.<\/p>\n
Rangers missed a chance to secure their progress as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aris Limassol, needing teenager Ross McCausland\u2019s first goal for the club to salvage a point that leaves them with work to do away to Group C leaders Real Betis in the final fixture.<\/p>\n
Rangers sit second, one point behind Betis and one above Sparta Prague, who earlier beat the Spaniards 1-0 courtesy of Lukas Haraslin\u2019s curling strike in the 54th minute.<\/p>\n
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Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw in Group C<\/p>\n
Jose Mourinho\u2019s Roma limped through as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Servette, with Romelu Lukaku\u2019s early goal cancelled out by Chris Bedia in the second half.<\/p>\n
That means Slavia Prague will go into the final fixtures two points clear at the top of Group G after Muhamed Tijani\u2019s penalty five minutes into stoppage time earned a 3-2 win away to Sheriff Tiraspol.<\/p>\n
Rennes are also through to the knockout stages after a 3-0 away win over Maccabi Haifa in Budapest, with Martin Terrier, Amine Gouri and Fabian Rieder getting the goals.<\/p>\n
Villarreal will follow Rennes out of Group F as they held off a second-half comeback from Panathinaikos to win 3-2.<\/p>\n
Atalanta were confirmed as Group D winners with a 1-1 draw against second-placed Sporting, who levelled through Marcus Edwards early in the second half after Gianluca Scamacca had put Atalanta ahead.<\/p>\n
The other group game saw Rakow Czestochowa win 1-0 away to Sturm Graz.<\/p>\n
In Group H, Bayer Leverkusen wrapped up top spot with a 2-0 win away to whipping boys Hacken, while Molde and Qarabag remain level on points in the fight for second place after a 2-2 draw in Norway.<\/p>\n