Luis Diaz opened the scoring as Liverpool progressed from Group E (Picture: Getty)
Liverpool have secured their place in the Europa League last 16 after they beat Austrian side LASK 3-0 and Toulouse could only manage a 0-0 draw against Union Saint-Gilloise.
The two results mean that the Reds have sealed top spot in Group E with a game to spare and now have a safe passage to the last 16, avoiding the knockout play-off round.
First-half goals from Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo put Jurgen Klopp’s men in firm control before Mohamed Salah scored a penalty and Gakpo grabbed a second late-on in the second half in the victory at Anfield on Thursday.
Liverpool got off to a strong start and took the lead after 12 minutes as Diaz got on the end of Joe Gomez’s delivery into the box and powered a header past Tobias Lawal, with the Colombian registering his first Anfield goal since August.
Just three minutes later Liverpool doubled their lead and Diaz was again involved as he slipped in Salah on the right, who squared it for Gakpo to tap the ball into an empty net.
Kostas Tsimikas cleared a ball off the line as LASK desperately tried to pull a goal back and he then rattled the bar with an effort from outside the box as he looked to extend Liverpool’s advantage at the other end, but it stayed 2-0 at half-time.
Salah got himself on the scoresheet not long after the restart, slotting home a penalty which was awarded after LASK goalkeeper Lawal fouled Gakpo inside the box.
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Caoimhin Kelleher, starting in goal in place of the injured Alisson, produced a series of top saves to secure the clean sheet and more chances fell for Liverpool before Gakpo scored his second goal of the night late into added time for a 4-0 win.
Elsewhere in the Europa League, fellow Premier League sides West Ham and Brighton have also progressed from their groups with their wins over TSC Backa Topola and AEK Athens respectively.
Tomas Soucek netted an 89th-minute winner for the Hammers in Serbia while Joao Pedro’s 55th-minute penalty was enough for the Seagulls in Greece as both English clubs secured 1-0 victories.
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