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Linfield have the chance to become the first team from Northern Ireland to qualify for the Europa League group stages after their stunning victory over Qarabag.
The Belfast outfit – managed by former Leeds striker David Healy – ran out 3-2 winners over the Azerbaijan champions in the first leg of their play-off clash at Windsor Park.
Their 20-year-old striker Shayne Lavery was the hero with the second and third goals, including an outstanding run and strike in the second-half, to help seal one of the club’s best-ever results.
Qarabag dominated the early stages and Faycal Rherras gave the visitors a deserved first-half lead.
The Azerbaijani side have history in Europe – they faced Arsenal and Sporting Lisbon in last year’s Europa League and sealed two draws against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in 2017.
But the plucky Northern Irish side battled back, with Mark Stafford’s header changing the momentum five minutes before half-time, before Lavery put them ahead in added time.
The 20-year-old then got his second in fine style on 75 minutes, muscling his marker off the ball and printing through on goal, before checking back onto his left foot and curling the ball into the top left corner.
The return leg will be made more difficult for Linfield after former Everton forward Magaye Gueye got one back for Qarabag with an injury-time penalty.
But confidence will be high after a stunning performance ahead of their trip to Azerbaijan next Thursday.
There were also good results for other British sides, with Wolves and Celtic winning and Rangers getting a creditable goalless draw against Legia Warsaw in Poland.
- Europa League round-up, including Wolves, Celtic and Rangers results
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