Wout Weghorst claimed a leading role in the third preliminary round of the Europa League on Thursday evening. The striker of VfL Wolfsburg scored twice against FK Kukesi from Albania and contributed to a simple 0-4 victory. At the same time, thanks to hits by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hakan Çalhanoglu, AC Milan was 0-2 too strong for the Irish Shamrock Rovers. The Series A club meets FK Bodö/Glimt in the next round.

FK Kukesi – VfL Wolfsburg 0-4
Oliver Glasner’s team laid the foundations for the win in the first half in Tirana. Wolfsburg went into the break with a 0-2 lead and didn’t have to work very hard for that. Kukesi played somewhat recklessly, especially in defensive terms, and the visitors took full advantage of that. After 21 minutes Erhun Obanor was unhappy on two occasions with defending and Weghorst popped the ball against the ropes. More than ten minutes later Maxime Lacroix drew for the 0-2 from close range on Renato Steffen’s signal.

Not much later the ball went on the other side of the pitch on the dot. Felix Kraus brought down Eduart Rroca, but the latter saw his effort turned in the right corner by Koen Casteels. In the second half Kukesi certainly made his effort, with substitute Albin Gashi on the crossbar. Sixteen minutes before time the decision fell. Joao Victor took the ball from a defender, pulled up and didn’t miss Weghorst. The Dutchman worked the ball from close in: 0-3. Admir Mehmedi drew just before time after a fine pass from Xaver Schlager for the 0-4. Wolfsburg took on Desna Chernihiv from Ukraine in the next round.

Shamrock Rovers – AC Milan 0-2
Halfway through the first half Milan opened the score, after losing the ball in their own half. Milan quickly played the ball around outside the penalty area of the Irish and eventually Ibrahimovic pulled the trigger, at the behest of Çalhanoglu. Milan, operating in the blue, third shirt, then came close to 0-2. After Ibrahimovic’s preparatory work, a bet from Samu Castillejo in front of the line was taken away by Shamrock. In the second half Milan widened the margin.

In the 0-2, halfway through the second half, Çalhanoglu himself acted as finisher. From inside the penalty area Alexis Saelemaekers returned the ball to Çalhanoglu, who was not hindered and picked out the right corner from outside the sixteen. The Turk had already been close to a goal twice in the previous phase: he hit the bar with a spectacular overturn and forced keeper Alan Mannus to save with his fingertips after a free kick, but there was no one-way traffic. Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced to act after attempts by Aaron Greene to keep the score intact.