LONDON (AP) ― Liverpool lost 1-0 at wealthy Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League on Thursday to leave Group A up for grabs, while reigning champion Atletico Madrid missed a chance to qualify with two games to spare.
Lacina Traore grabbed a 45th-minute winner for Anzhi, which climbed above Liverpool to the top of the group after four games. Young Boys’ 3-2 surprise victory at Udinese means all four teams can still reach the knockout stage.
Atletico’s perfect start to Group B, as well as a 16-game winning run in European competition, was ended with a 2-0 defeat at Portuguese team Academica, leaving the holders level on points with Viktoria Plzen ― a 4-0 winner over eliminated Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Newcastle stayed top of Group D by drawing 2-2 at Club Bruges while Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani scored all four goals for Napoli in a 4-2 win over Group F leader Dnipro, reviving the Italian side’s stuttering campaign.
Fenerbahce and Steaua Bucharest are both five points clear in their groups after a third win in four games but still aren’t guaranteed to advance. Fenerbahce beat AEL Limassol 2-0 in Group C, where Marseille drew 2-2 with Borussia Moenchengladbach to leave both teams on five points, and Steaua is in charge of Group E after defeating Molde 2-1 away.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers again kept faith with his squad’s fringe players for the trip to Anzhi, which is managed by Dutch coaching great Guus Hiddink and included Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o in its lineup.
The English team, which has been crowned European champions five times, held its own throughout but was undone by a great piece of skill by lanky striker Traore, who lifted the ball over his marker before lobbing goalkeeper Brad Jones from outside the area.
“Some of the young players were terrific and we are disappointed not to have got something from it,” said Rodgers, who left Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard out of the squad ahead of Sunday’s match at Chelsea in the Premier League.