Gordon scores four as Newcastle hammer Qarabag
Anthony Gordon struck four times in the first half as Newcastle United thrashed Qarabag 6-1 away in their Champions League playoff first leg on Wednesday, to all but book their place in the last 16.
Gordon opened the scoring in the third minute and Malick Thiaw headed in from a corner six minutes later to earn an early two-goal lead.
The 24-year-old Englishman made it 3-0 from the spot in the 32nd minute following a handball, added his third a minute later after a defensive error and converted another penalty in added time before the break, when keeper Mateusz Kochalski brought him down inside the box.
Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back in the 56th minute before substitute Jacob Murphy’s deflected strike in the 72nd minute sealed a dominant win for the Premier League side in Baku.
Bodo/Glimt stun Inter
Bodo/Glimt secured an upset 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday as Kasper Hogh proved instrumental with two assists and a goal.
The Norwegian side took the lead in the 20th minute when Hogh’s backheel set up Sondre Brunstad Fet, who calmly slotted into the bottom corner.
Inter, three-times European Cup winners, equalised 10 minutes later through 20-year-old Pio Esposito, who turned sharply inside the box to fire in following Carlos Augusto’s through ball.
Esposito’s goal made him the youngest Italian to score for Inter in the knockout rounds of the competition.
Schick quickfire double earns Leverkusen 2-0 win at Olympiacos
Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick struck twice in three minutes to steer his team to a 2-0 victory at Olympiacos in their Champions League playoff first leg on Wednesday.
The Czech forward slipped past his marker and slotted in on the hour mark before quickly bagging a second goal with a downward header from Alex Grimaldo’s corner.
It was the 30-year-old’s first double in a Champions League match and he took his goal tally to four from his last six appearances in the competition.
Schick also became only the second Leverkusen player to score two goals in a Champions League knockout phase match, the first being Michael Ballack in 2002.
The Germans’ last loss was to the Greek side in the league phase on January 20 and they have now gone seven consecutive matches without defeat across all competitions.
Brugge equalise late to force 3-3 home draw with Atletico
Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis tucked away a late equaliser to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw with Atletico Madrid in their Champions League playoff first leg on Wednesday as the Belgian side avoided defeat after an agonising own goal appeared to have cost them.
Tzolis slammed home an angled shot in the 89th minute to level the tie although the goal was initially ruled out for offside but then confirmed after a VAR check.
Brugge fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to equalise but then looked to have thrown it away when Joel Ordonez turned the ball into his own net in the 79th minute.
Yet they head into next Tuesday’s return leg in Madrid with the scores level at the end of an exciting encounter in rainy conditions.