Europa League

Kolar at the double as Plzen cruise

Daniel Kolar scored twice as Viktoria Plzen boosted their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League with an emphatic 4-0 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Kolar scored once in each half and further goals from David Stipek and Marek Bakos virtually guaranteed Plzen's progress as they moved level with Atletico Madrid at the top of Group B.

Meanwhile the result guaranteed elimination for the Israelis, who continue to languish at the bottom of the group with just a single point from their opening four games.

The hosts had gone on the attack from the start with Stipek seeing a shot parried by visiting keeper Edel Apoula after 52 seconds, then Pavel Horvath forced another save from long-range soon after.

Kolar opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when he fired home from close range from a Radim Reznik cross, and as the home pressure continued both Reznik and Michal Duris came close.

Bakos headed a fine chance over the bar as Hapoel somehow held on until the 40th minute, when Stipek poked home a cross from Bakos from the left side of the penalty area.

Things then went from bad to worse for the visitors with Eric Djemba-Djemba sent off for a rash challenge on Vladimar Darida.

Coasting through the second half, Plzen had chances through David Limbersky and Horvath before Kolar headed his second goal in the 76th minute from a Horvath cross.

Bakos drilled home Plzen's fourth after being played in by a Reznik cross from the right wing in the 83rd minute, and Limbersky almost made it five when he forced another save out of Apoula in injury time.