ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) ― Son Heung-min scored twice to give Bayer Leverkusen a 2-1 win at Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League on Tuesday, putting the German team on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages.
The South Korean striker opened the scoring in the 68th minute with a fierce shot from outside the box after a well-worked team free-kick routine.
Son struck again five minutes later, finishing calmly after a through ball from Stefan Kiessling.
Leverkusen’s Son Heung-min celebrates after the team’s win on Tuesday. (AP-Yonhap)
Zenit earned a late consolation when substitute Jose Salomon Rondon scored in the 89th.
Leverkusen is at top of Group C with nine points.
Zenit is third in the group and has not won any of its last three Champions League matches. Until Rondon’s late goal, the St. Petersburg side had also been heading for a third straight European game without scoring.
Striker Alexander Kerzhakov missed several chances as Zenit dominated the first half, firing at Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno on 21 minutes when clear through on goal.
Two minutes later, Kerzhakov sent a shot wide from a good position.
Brazilian striker Hulk came closest to scoring in the early stages as his 13th-minute free kick brushed past the post.
Leverkusen struggled to create clear-cut chances until Son’s goals and could have gone behind on 63 minutes, but defender Emir Spahic stopped Kerzhakov in the box with a last-ditch tackle.
Also, Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 on Karim Benzema’s 27th-minute goal to advance to the knockout phase of the Champions League along with Borussia Dortmund, and Arsenal wasted a three-goal lead at home in a 3-3 tie against Anderlecht.
Real improved to 4-0 in Group B as Cristiano Ronaldo remained one shy of Raul Gonzalez’s record of 71 goals in Europe’s top club competition.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers rested Steven Gerrard, Mario Balotelli, Raheem Sterling and several others ahead of a weekend Premier League match against Chelsea.
Basel (2-2) is second after routing Ludogorets Razgrad 4-0. Borussia Dortmund beat Galatasaray 4-1 in the other Group D game.
In London, Arsenal (2-1-1) built a 3-0 lead over Anderlecht on Mikel Arteta’s penalty kick in the 25th, a volley by Alexis Sanchez in the 29th and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s darting run and shot in the 58th.
But Anthony Vanden Borre scored in the 61st and converted a penalty kick in the 73rd, and Aleksandar Mitrovic headed in the equalizer in the 90th for Anderlecht (0-2-2).
Juventus rallied to defeat Olympiakos 3-2, and Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Malmo to lead Group A.
Andrea Pirlo, making his 100th Champions League appearance, scored on a free kick in the 21st for Juventus, and Alberto Botia and Delvin N’Dinga scored on headers for the Greek champion.
After an own goal by Roberto in the 65th, Paul Pogba scored a minute later.
