Leverkusen, Newcastle, Bodo/Glimt Triumph in Champions League Play-off First Legs

Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-0 advantage over Olympiacos thanks to a quick second-half brace from Patrik Schick. Newcastle United delivered a dominant 6-1 away victory against Qarabag FK, powered by Anthony Gordon's four-goal first-half performance. Bodo/Glimt continued their impressive Champions League run with a 3-1 win against Inter Milan, scoring twice in four minutes after halftime. In a thrilling match, Club Brugge came from behind twice to earn a 3-3 draw with Atletico Madrid, keeping the tie wide open.

Key Points: Champions League Play-off Wins: Leverkusen, Newcastle, Bodo/Glimt Lead

  • Leverkusen avenges earlier loss with 2-0 win
  • Anthony Gordon scores four in Newcastle's 6-1 rout
  • Bodo/Glimt claims third straight UCL upset
  • Club Brugge fights back for 3-3 draw with Atleti
3 min read

Champions League: Leverkusen, Bodo/Glimt, Newcastle win in knockout phase play-off first legs

Key results from UCL knockout play-off first legs: Leverkusen beats Olympiacos 2-0, Newcastle routs Qarabag 6-1, and Bodo/Glimt downs Inter Milan 3-1.

"Schick broke the deadlock by completing a counterattack with a composed finish on the hour. - UEFA reports"

New Delhi, Feb 19

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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Reader Comments

A
Ananya R
Anthony Gordon scoring 4 goals in one half is just insane! As an Indian football fan, we rarely see such individual performances in our leagues. The quality and speed of the European game is on another level. Newcastle looks scary good.
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Vikram M
Solid win for Leverkusen. Schick's finishing was clinical. But honestly, as an Indian viewer, the timing of these matches is always an issue. Woke up at 1:30 AM to watch, but it was worth it! 😅 Need more prime-time European football for Asian fans.
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Sarah B
The 3-3 draw between Club Brugge and Atleti sounds like an absolute thriller! Late goals, comebacks... that's what knockout football is all about. Makes me wish the ISL had this kind of drama and unpredictability more often.
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Karthik V
While these matches are exciting, I can't help but feel a bit sad. When will an Indian club ever play in the Champions League knockout stages? We need massive investment and better grassroots development. The gap is huge, but we must dream. 🇮🇳
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Michael C
Respectfully, the article is great but focuses only on the scorers. What about the goalkeepers? Tzolakis and Blaswich made some crucial saves mentioned in the second para. Sometimes the match is won by the man between the posts, not just the strikers.

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