New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Leverkusen, Newcastle and Bodo/Glimt all picked up wins in the first legs of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs.
Patrik Schick scored twice in four second-half minutes as Leverkusen avenged their defeat in Piraeus during the league phase with 2-0 win over Olympiacos.
Olympiacos’ Kostas Tzolakis made two exceptional first-half saves, repelling Schick’s shot and tipping Ibrahim Maza’s volley over. Opposite number Janis Blaswich also pushed Gelson Martins’ curling effort behind before the break, UEFA reports.
Schick broke the deadlock by completing a counterattack with a composed finish on the hour. The forward soon headed in Alejandro Grimaldo’s corner for his second, leaving Die Werkself strongly placed in the tie.
Anthony Gordon’s four-goal first-half haul set up an emphatic 6-1 victory for the English visitors Newcastle United against Qarabag FK.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring after just three minutes, Malick Thiaw’s header swiftly extending the lead.
A quickfire double just after the half-hour secured Gordon the match ball, the winger converting a penalty before soon dinking in a third. There was still time before the interval for the Magpies’ No. 10 to grab another, slotting his second spot kick of the night to the other side.
Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back with a fierce strike, but visiting substitute Jacob Murphy restored the five-goal advantage with a deflected effort.
Bodo/Glimt scored two goals in four second-half minutes to beat Inter Milan 3-1, claiming their third memorable Champions League victory in a row, following their league phase triumphs against Manchester City and Atleti.
A clever back-heel from Kasper Hogh played in Sondre Brunstad Fet to slot in a clinical 20th-minute opener for the hosts, before Inter levelled when Pio Esposito powered in on the turn.
Bodo/Glimt took control with two goals just past the hour. First Jens Petter Hauge fired in an unstoppable effort from Høgh’s pass, the latter sealing the win with a strike of his own from close range.
Meanwhile, Christos Tzolis struck a minute from time as Club Brugge twice came back to preserve their unbeaten record in five home meetings with Atleti with 3-3 draw.
Julian Alvarez’s penalty and an Ademola Lookman tap-in had the visitors in a healthy position at the break, but the hosts responded brilliantly.
Raphael Onyedika pulled one back after Jan Oblak saved from Nicolo Tresoldi, who the got on the end of Mamadou Diakhon’s cross to level. Joel Ordonez’s own goal looked to have given Atleti the win, but Tzolis’ late intervention leaves the tiein the balance.
–IANS
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