Belgium- based Ghana international, Frank Opoku Acheampong, steered Anderlecht to a priceless opening win in the UEFA Europa league.
The pocket size attacker led the lines superbly well, in a 3-1 thumping of Qabala.
The 22-year-old Ghanaian import lasted the full throttle for the Belgium PRO league side and extended his recent rich form for the ambitious side in the opening matches of the group stages.
Compatriot duo of Dennis Appiah and Emmanuel Adjei Sowah missed the action for the Belgians, with the latter only good enough for the bench.
An own goal from the visitors was sandwiched by strikes from Lucasz Teodoryck and Spanish winger, Diego Capel.
Anderlecht missed out on the Belgium domestic championship trophy last season but has made an impressive start to the season thus far.
Italy-based Ghanaian midfielder, Alfred Duncan, starred for his Serie-A side in a crucial 1-1 European tie away to Crevena.
The hard-tackling midfielder lasted the full throttle for the European debutants as they booked a place in the group stages of the continental club competition.
Italian forward, Dominico Berardi, opened the scoring for AS Sassoulo before a second half response from the Norwegians levelled matters.
Alfred Duncan and his ruthless side, however zoomed into the gruop stage thanks to an opening 3-0 win in the first leg hosted on Italian soil.
Duncan has since featured in 4 games for the Italians including an European debut away to Swiss side, Luzern.
Duncan won the best player in the Italian top flight at the end of the 2015/16 Serie-A season.
Jurgen Klopp will welcome his former side Borussia Dortmund to Anfield on Thursday as Liverpool look to book their place in the semi-final of this season’s Europa League.
The tie is finely poised after a 1-1 draw in Germany last week when a second-half strike from Mats Hummels cancelled out Divock Origi’s opener.
In the Premier League, Liverpool sit eighth – five points off Manchester United in fifth – albeit with games in hand on the teams around them. That leaves Klopp and his players desperate for success on the European stage, their only chance of silverware.
Dortmund and Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, are still able to achieve a domestic and European treble. They are unbeaten in their past 18 competitive matches, a run stretching back to December 19.
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The absence of Christian Benteke and Danny Ings (knee) through injury means Jurgen Klopp has Daniel Sturridge and Origi as forward options for the visit of his former club.
Sturridge was selected ahead of Divock Origi for Sunday’s win against Stoke but the Belgium international was preferred for the first leg in Germany.
Liverpool attacking midfielder, Phillippe Coutinho
Joe Gomez and captain Jordan Henderson are suffering from knee injuries, though, and will miss the Europa League quarter-final clash.
Dortmund trained with a fully-fit squad bar Neven Subotic this week and he is their only casualty going into the match.
Opta stats
Liverpool have progressed to the next round in 11 of their past 12 European ties after drawing the first leg away from home, and they will be hoping to continue that trend on Thursday night.
Dortmund’s Gabonese international, Aubamayeng will hope for a better second leg performance
Origi’s goal in the reverse leg made him the ninth Liverpool player to score in the Europa League this season. Only Napoli and Lazio (10 each) have more.
Dortmund have had more shots than any other team in the Europa League this season; a remarkable 196!
Jurgen Klopp is yet to lose a European tie since taking over as manager of Liverpool. So far, he’s won four and drawn five, but this will surely be the toughest yet, as they look to secure their place in the semi-final of the competition.
Only Aritz Aduriz (nine) has scored more Europa League goals this season than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Basque based Ghanaian attacker Innaki Williams saw his dreams of lifting the 2015/16 UEFA Europa league hit a snag after suffering a dreadful home defeat at the quarter final stages of the continent’s elite club competition.
The Spanish born Ghanaian attacker returned to the side after over one month out with an injury, but was powerless to prevent Seville from earning a first leg advantage ahead of the trip to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuain.
Ariz Aduriz opened the scoring for Ernesto Valverdo’s men but further strikes from Timotee Kolojiejzack and Vincente Ibora won the game for the reigning champions at the fully packed San Mames.
Williams enjoyed a blistering season with the Basque outfit despite his injury blighted campaign. The Ghanaian was replaced by Michael Susaeta on 63 minutes in his 29th appearance of the season.
The talented forward reportedly turned down overtures from Spain ahead of a place in the Black stars set up.
Liverpool booked their place for Friday’s Europa league quarter finals draw at the headquarters of UEFA in Nyon with a 3-1 aggregate score after drawing 1-1 against Manchester United.
The Reds needed to avoid a heavy defeat after winning the first leg by 2-0 and indeed led by manager, Jurgen Klopp his boys delivered displaying a tactically disciplined performance.
Martial scores from the spot kick to give Manchester United the lead
When Anthony Martial scored from the spot kick after he had cleaned himself up looked like the old United was alive with 5-minutes left on the clock to half time but Liverpool who started the game slowly had grown into it and Coutinho justified that with a lovely dribble pass defender, Guillermo Varela who looked on helplessly as the on rushing David De Gea was chipped into the far corner by the Brazilian.
Coutinho loops the ball over the on rushing David De Gea to equalise for Liverpool
Louis Van Gaal as always stayed glued to his seat and threw in all his gauntlet but to no avail as Liverpool progressed to the 1/8th stage.
