Liverpool, West Ham score comeback wins in Europa League, Brighton loses in European debut

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Brighton and Hove Albion's Joao Pedro scores their side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League Group B match Thursday at The AMEX, Brighton and Hove, England. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
AEK Athens' Djibril Sidibe, not pictured, beats Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Jason Steele to score the opening goal during the UEFA Europa League Group B match Thursday at The AMEX, Brighton and Hove, England. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)
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Liverpool marked its return to the Europa League on Thursday with another come-from-behind 3-1 victory, this time over Austrian club LASK in Linz.

Luis Díaz had a clinical finish into the roof of the net in the 63rd minute to put the visitors ahead after receiving a low cross from midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who was given his first start for the Reds since his summer transfer from Bayern Munich.

Mohamed Salah came off the bench and completed the second-half comeback with a goal in the 88th minute.

Florian Flecker beat backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher off a corner kick in the 14th minute for the opener against Liverpool, a three-time winner of the second-tier European competition.

The visitors equalized when Darwin Núñez scored on a penalty kick 11 minutes into the second half after Philipp Ziereis fouled Díaz.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp made 11 changes in his starting lineup from the 3-1 comeback victory over Wolverhampton on Saturday in the English Premier League.

It was a return to the second-tier competition for the Reds for the first time since losing 3-1 to Sevilla in the 2016 final in Basel in Klopp’s first season at Anfield.

In another Group E game, Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse drew 1-1.

Europe Conference League champion West Ham also had to come a goal down to defeat newcomer TSC Backa Topola from Serbia 3-1 at London Stadium in Group A.

An own goal from Nemanja Petrovic started West Ham’s comeback in the 66th. Summer signing Mohammed Kudus headed home the second four minutes later in his first start for the Hammers with substitute Tomáš Soucek heading in the third to finish it off.

Petar Stanic had beaten goalkeeper Łukasz Marek Fabianski one-on-one three minutes after halftime for the Serbian team.

Brighton’s debut in a European competition suffered a blow in a 3-2 loss at home to AEK Athens in Group B.

Substitute Ezequiel Ponce netted the winner six minutes from time to put the Greek team ahead for the third time.

Forward João Pedro converted from the spot in each half for Brighton, which is playing in Europe for the first time in the club’s 122-year history after finishing a club-best sixth in the English Premier League last season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his second goal in the 78th to salvage a 3-3 draw for Marseille at Ajax as the two former Champions League winners met in another game in one of the toughest groups.

Marseille was without coach Marcelino, who stepped down Wednesday after only a handful of games in charge.

Romelu Lukaku scored the second-half winner for last year’s runner up Roma in Group G in a 2-1 victory over Sheriff in Tiraspol.

Earlier, substitute midfielder Leandro Paredes netted from a deflected free kick in first-half stoppage time to give the visitors a 1-0 lead before Cristian Tovar evened it in the second half.

Roma, coached by Jose Mourinho, is trying to reach its third straight European final.

Also in Group G, Slavia Prague took home three points from Geneva after beating Servette 2-0.

Atalanta relied on second-half goals from forward Charles De Ketelaere and substitute Éderson in a 2-0 victory over another newcomer Raków Czestochowa in Group D while Rangers beat Real Betis 1-0 in Group C.