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Bayer Leverkusen ended the Europa League’s organisational level with a 5-1 loss to Norwegian club Molde on Thursday, leaving them unbeaten in all competitions this season.
The Bundesliga leaders finished as the only team with the best record in Europe’s second division, with six wins out of six in Group H, after conceding just three goals and scoring 19.
Patrik Schick and Edmond Tapsoba scored and an own goal from Martin Ellingsen made it 3-0 before the break in Germany. Adam Hložek added two more in the second half for Xabi Alonso’s side.
Leverkusen extended its unbeaten streak to 23 games, which includes 14 in the Bundesliga. The team also has won three matches to reach the quarterfinals of the German Cup.
Qarabağ first took second place in the organization for a Europa League spot of 16 after a 2-1 win over Hacken.
Premier League leaders Leverkusen, Liverpool and Atalanta had already qualified for the last 16 ahead of the final round.
The organization’s eight winners earn a direct position in the knockout stages, while completing the second gives the team a knockout game against clubs that qualify for the Europa League as third in the Champions League organizations.
Champions League playoff qualifiers include Galatasaray, Lens, Braga, Benfica, Feyenoord, AC Milan, Young Boys and Shakhtar Donetsk.
The draw is scheduled for Monday.
Union Saint-Gilloise handed Liverpool a 2-1 loss at a game played at RSC Anderlecht Stadium in Brussels. With the job in the group done, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp fielded the youngest starting lineup in a European match with an average age of 22 years and 156 days.
Among them, teenager Kaide Gordon made his first senior start since January 2022 and Curtis Jones captained the squad.
Mohammed Amoura’s opener for the hosts was canceled out by Jarell Quansah, but Cameron Puertas restored a one-goal advantage in the first half.
The Reds still retained first place in Group E, one ahead of Toulouse, which won 2-1 at LASK.
At London Stadium, West Ham defeated Freiburg 2-0. The Hammers needed only a point to win Group A ahead of the German team.
Summer signing Edson Alvarez has done the heavy lifting for West Ham. The Mexican midfielder gave Mohammed Kudus an early lead, then teamed up with Jarrod Bowed to take the lead on his own before halftime.
João Pedro scored in the 88th minute as Brighton beat Marseille 1-0 and the Seagulls went straight to the round of 16 in the first European crusade in the club’s 122-year history.
Brighton needed to beat Marseille to move atop Group B with 13 points, two more than their French opponent.
Ajax got off to a slow start to the campaign but beat AEK Athens 3-1 to help the Dutch giants to at least third place in the group.
Roma beat Sheriff 3-0, but Jose Mourinho’s side finished second in Group G and will have to play a series of matches in February.
Romelu Lukaku scored his fifth goal of the tournament to give Roma the lead after 11 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico. Andrea Belotti doubled the lead in the 32nd minute and Niccolo Pisilli scored in second-half stoppage time.
Slavia Prague secured first place with 15 points, two more than Roma, after a 4-0 victory over Swiss side Servette. Mojmír Chytil scored two goals and David Douděra and Ivan Schranz added one each.
In a head-to-head draw for top spot in Group F, Villarreal secured a 3-2 win over Rennes and a place in the round of 16. Daniel Parejo scored the winning goal in the first minute.
In a tight Group C, Kemar Roofe scored as Rangers beat Real Betis 3-2 to win the organization with 11 points. Sparta Prague moved up to second place thanks to a 3-1 win over Aris Limassol, with Real. Betis finishes third.
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE LEAGUE
Aston Villa secured top spot in Group E after Nicolo Zaniolo’s goal earned the Premier League side a 1-1 draw against Bosnian club Zrinjski. Legia Warsaw finished second after beating AZ Alkmaar 2-0.
Last year’s runner-up Fiorentina got the draw it needed — 1-1 at Ferencváros — to win Group F ahead of its opponent.
Fenerbahce finished top of Group H after a 4-0 win over Spartak Trnava and is followed by Ludogorets in second place.
Lille advanced to the next level from the most sensible spot in Group A after beating newcomer KÍ Klaksvík from the Faroe Islands 3-0.
In Group B, Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Ghent 3-1 in a decisive match played in Backa Topola, Serbia, due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
In a Group D decider, Club Brugge defeated Bodø/Glimt 3-1.
Viktoria Plzeň was already in the round of 16 and beat Astana 3-0 to win six of six matches in Group C.
A first-place finish provides a direct position in the knockout stages, while a second-place finish takes clubs into the playoffs with third-placed groups in the Europa League.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews. com/hub/Soccer