PARIS: Liverpool fell behind for the fourth time in five matches this season but fought back to beat LASK 3-1 in Linz in the Europa League on Thursday.
Elsewhere in the early matches in the first round of the group stage of the second-tier European competition, Romelu Lukaku earned last year’s beaten finalists Roma a 2-1 victory at Sheriff.
Bayer Leverkusen crushed Swedes Hacken 4-0, Rennes cruised past Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in France, Spaniards Villarreal lost 2-0 to Panathinakos in Greece.
Liverpool, playing in the Europa League for the first time since finishing runners up in 2016, changed their entire starting 11 away to LASK and quickly fell behind.
In the 14th minute, Sascha Horvath lobbed a corner to Florian Flecker just outside the Liverpool box. The Austrian midfielder controlled the dropping ball before smashing a rocket shot past Caoimhin Kelleher in the Liverpool goal.
Darwin Nunez levelled with a 55th-minute penalty kick after Luis Diaz was brought down.
After 61 minutes, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp started to replace teenagers with regular starters.
Within two minutes they were ahead when Ryan Gravenberch burst down the right and crossed low for Diaz to score from close range.
Two minutes from the end Mohamed Salah, a second-half replacement, poked home a third.
In Moldova, Leandro Paredes scored four minutes into first-half injury time to give Roma the lead away to Sheriff.
Colombian Cristian Tovar levelled but Romelu Lukaku gave Jose Mourinho’s team a narrow victory.
In the Conference League, Aston Villa, returning to European competition after a 12-year gap, fell behind in the third minute to Legia Warsaw and despite equalising twice lost 3-2.
Pawel Wszolek met a cross from the left with a sliding volley to put Legia ahead.
Jhon Duran levelled after six minutes heading in a rebound after a Nicolo Zaniolo shot.
But the Poles regained the lead after 25 minutes when Wszolek crossed from the right and Ernest Muci scored on the half volley.
Lucas Digne levelled with a deflected shot from the edge of the box after 38 minutes but Muci settled the game with a low shot after 51 minutes.
Croatians Zrinjski Mostar came from three goals down to beat visiting AZ Alkmaar 4-3.
Myron Van Brederode, Sven Mijnans and Dani de Wit put the Dutch side three goals up by half-time.
Zvonimir Kozulj started the comeback after 48 minutes and ended it in the 81st minute, sandwiching goals from Josip Corluka and Aldin Hrvanovic.
Liverpool fight back again to edge LASK on Europa League return
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Liverpool fight back again to edge LASK on Europa League return
- Romelu Lukaku earned last year’s beaten finalists Roma a 2-1 victory at Sheriff
- Bayer Leverkusen crushed Swedes Hacken 4-0, Rennes cruised past Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in France, Spaniards Villarreal lost 2-0 to Panathinakos in Greece
Late Kane penalty saves Bayern point against rock bottom Mainz
- Borussia Dortmund’s draw at Freiburg had given Bayern a chance to go further ahead of their rivals with victory against Mainz, who have just one win all season
BERLIN: Harry Kane converted a penalty with three minutes remaining to save Bayern Munich’s blushes in a 2-2 home draw against last-placed Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Mainz came from a goal down to snatch the lead thanks to an excellent Lee Jae-sung header, putting Bayern on track for a first league defeat since March.
So often Bayern’s savior this season, Kane won and converted the penalty to keep Vincent Kompany’s side undefeated and extend their lead atop the table to nine points.
Kane told DAZN Bayern would have to take the draw “on the chin,” adding: “We conceded a really silly goal before half-time and that changes the momentum.
“When you play against teams who are fighting for every point, they can defend well, they can defend the box, they can make saves, make blocks — and that’s what happened.”
Borussia Dortmund’s draw at Freiburg had given Bayern a chance to go further ahead of their rivals with victory against Mainz, who have just one win all season and had coach Urs Fischer making his league debut in the dugout.
Bayern’s teenage forward Lennart Karl continued his impressive form, turning in a Serge Gnabry cutback to give the hosts the lead on 29 minutes.
Mainz won a free-kick just before the break and William Boving floated in a clever cross right to Kacper Potulski, who powered an unstoppable header in from close range
Midway through the second half, Mainz’s Lee then headed his side into an unlikely lead.
As he did when scoring to snatch Bayern a draw against Union Berlin in November — the only previous time the defending champions had dropped points this season — England captain Kane was again the late difference-maker for the Bavarians.
Kane went down in the box under a challenge and coolly converted for his 18th league goal this season and his 29th for Bayern in all competitions.
Bellingham sees red
Borussia Dortmund missed a chance to climb past RB Leipzig into second, conceding an equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Freiburg after Jobe Bellingham saw red.
Ramy Bensebaini’s 31st-minute goal had Dortmund in front but Bellingham was sent off for a professional foul shortly after half-time.
The hosts made the most of their one-man advantage, camping out in Dortmund’s half and levelling things up thanks to an acrobatic Lucas Hoeler strike.
“We’re definitely disappointed,” Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel told DAZN.
“If the red card doesn’t happen, the result would look different. We had the game under control and were very dominant.”
Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy missed a header while unmarked in the box five minutes in, continuing his recent dry spell.
Guirassy scored 38 goals in all competitions last season but has just one in his past 10 Bundesliga matches.
The visitors had looked comfortable after Bensebaini’s goal but lost control of the match when Bellingham, as the last man, felled an on-rushing Philipp Treu on the edge of the box.
With Freiburg peppering the Dortmund goal, Kobel made a string of impressive saves but could not keep out Hoeler’s curling strike.
