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Hammers rampant, Celtic now four adrift

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Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen drew in the Europa League to move four points clear of Celtic.
Camera IconReal Betis and Bayer Leverkusen drew in the Europa League to move four points clear of Celtic. Credit: AP

West Ham continued to dazzle in the Europa League, while a late Bayer Leverkusen equaliser at Real Betis left the teams four points clear of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic at the midway point of the group stage.

Belgian club Genk travelled to London but the Hammers made light work with a 3-0 win that left them with a 100 per cent record and top position in Group H.

David Moyes' men are now six points clear and on the brink of qualification following goals from Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Jarrod Bowen.

Rangers' Europa League campaign burst into life with a convincing 2-0 win over Brondby at Ibrox.

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After opening Group A defeats to Lyon and Sparta Prague, the pressure was on the Scottish champions but they took the lead in the 18th minute when defender Leon Balogun headed his first goal in Light Blue from a James Tavernier corner.

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Striker Kemar Roofe added a second on the half-hour mark after his close-range finish was confirmed onside by VAR and although there were no more goals Steven Gerrard's Scottish champions ran out deserved winners.

There were also wins for Monaco over PSV (2-1) and Eintracht against Olympiacos (3-1), while Napoli beat Legia Warsaw 3-0 and Galatasaray edged out Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0.

Borja Iglesias opened the scoring in one of the early matches from the penalty spot for Betis after Jeremie Frimpong's 75th-minute handball.

But Leverkusen struck back just seven minutes later in fortunate circumstances when Robert Andrich's long drive found the net via a big deflection off William Carvalho.

Leverkusen top Group G on goal difference and would have been pleased to have bounced back after a weekend domestic thrashing by Bayern Munich, before their Bundesliga Rhine derby with Cologne on Sunday.

Celtic played on Tuesday, taking their first points with a 2-0 win over Ferencvaros.

In a series of draws, Marseille and Lazio ended goalless in Rome while Fenerbache drew 2-2 at home to Royal Antwerp.

Socceroo Milos Degenek's Red Star Belgrade also came away with a draw, a 1-1 result at Danish club Midtjylland leaving Red Star a point clear in Group F over Sporting Braga, who won 1-0 at Ludogorets.

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