Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday as the hosts got the better of their rivals in the first European meeting between the two storied clubs.
A penalty handed on 20 minutes handed Liverpool the advantage after Memphis Depay was whistled for bringing down Nathaniel Clyne on the edge of the area, and Spanish official Carlos Velasco Carballo pointed to the spot.
Daniel Sturridge converted the penalty off the fingertips of David De Gea.
The United keeper was called into action thrice more in the first half to keep the score at 1-0, first with a sprawling effort to deny Philippe Coutinho at the goal line, and then with quick-reaction saves to deny Sturridge and Adam Lallana.
Liverpool had another opportunity to double their advantage in the 70th minute but Jordan Henderson's shot from the top of the box sailed wide, but it wasn't long before the hosts found a second.
Henderson received the ball on the wing -- barely staying onside -- and crossed to the centre, where Michael Carrick failed to properly clear. Instead, the ball fell to Lallana, who passed back for Roberto Firmino to score.
Marco Reus scored twice as Borussia Dortmund took a big advantage over Tottenham Hotspur with a 3-0 win in Germany.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a danger from the start with a number of early chances, including a goal that was ruled out for offside in the 14th minutes.
The African Player of the Year found the breakthrough on the half-hour mark with an unmarked header from the centre of the box.
Dortmund continued to control the majority of the action and doubled their advantage in the 61st minute. Substitute Neven Subotic used his head to flick on a cross following a corner kick for Reus to smash home at the far post.
Reus found his second goal in the 70th minute when he got on the end of Gonzalo Castro's chipped pass to beat Hugo Lloris with his first touch.
Tottenham offered little in response and now face a mountain to climb when the tie resumes next week at White Hart Lane.
Cedric Bakambu scored twice as Villarreal controlled their home leg against Bayer Leverkusen with a 2-0 win.
The Spanish side were ahead inside five minutes when Bakambu was played through with a pass over the Leverksen defence, and the striker shot through the legs of Bernd Leno.
Bakambu added a second goal on the counter-attack in the 56th minute as Villarreal kept Javier Hernandez and the visitors silent ahead of the second leg in Germany.
Athletic Bilbao hold a 1-0 advantage over fellow Spanish side Valencia after their home leg.
Raul Garcia scored the game's only goal with a diving header to redirect a free kick past Mathew Ryan in the 20th minute.
Two-time defending champions Sevilla managed a goalless draw at Basel.
In an even match, Basel striker Marc Janko had one of the better chances when he headed just wide during a counter-attack in the first half.
Sevilla midfielder Steven N'Zonzi was sent off for a second yellow card in the 86th minute, while Basel defender Walter Samuel will also miss the second leg because of yellow card accumulation.
Sparta Prague held Lazio to a 1-1 draw in their home leg in the Czech Republic.
The hosts took the lead through Martin Frydek's spectacular finish on a volley in the 13th minute.
But the Italian side responded on 38 minutes following a corner when Wesley Hoedt's initial header was saved and Marco Parolo tapped in the loose ball.
Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Anderlecht 3-1 in their home leg in Lviv.
Taison provided the opener after pouncing on a defensive giveaway in the box to lash home in the 21st minute.
And just three minutes later the hosts were up 2-0 when Oleksandr Kucher's header from the centre of the box found the back of the net.
Anderlecht found a crucial away goal in the second half through Frank Acheampong's header on 69 minutes, but Shakhtar were able to restore a two-goal lead when Eduardo scored following a corner 10 minutes later.
In Turkey, Mehmet Topal scored a late goal to give Fenerbahce a 1-0 win over Braga.
Topal's shot from distance in the 82nd minute sneaked into the bottom corner to give the hosts a slim advantage ahead of the second leg in Portugal.