Swansea City have all but sealed their place in the group stages of the Europa League after they comprehensively defeated Romanian outfit Petrolul Ploiesti.
The home side raced into a 3-0 advantage inside the opening 25 minutes, with Wayne Routledge netting either side of a Michu tap-in.
It was a similar story in the second half, and after Pecanha had put through his own net, Alejandro Pozuelo made it five soon after coming on as a substitute.
The visitors did manage to claim a consolation goal minutes before the end, when Gheorghe Grozav produced a stunning overhead-kick from 12 yards.
Read below to see how the action unfolded at the Liberty Stadium.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole coverage of the Europa League playoff tie between Swansea City and Petrolul Ploiesti.
After comfortably being defeated by Manchester United at the weekend, Swansea return to the Liberty Stadium where they hope to return to winning ways against their Romanian opponents in the Europa League.
Before we go any further, we will bring you the team news that is coming in from Wales...
SWANSEA CITY XI: Vorm; Rangel, Flores, Williams, Taylor; Britton, Shelvey, Michu, Routledge, Hernandez; Bony
SWANSEA CITY SUBSTITUTES: Tremmel, Amat, Richards, de Guzman, Canas, Pozuelo, Lamah
So there we have it. Michael Ladurup has named a strong lineup to face Petrolul, but he was hardly likely to do any different with his club in this kind of territory. The most notable absentee is Nathan Dyer, who is missing with an hamstring injury.
For any Petrolul Ploiesti fans, we are still awaiting selection news for your team, but we will bring it you as soon as we have it.
PETROLUL PLOIESTI XI: Pecanha; Benga, Geraldo, Achim, Guilherme; Boudjemaa, Teixeira, Grozav, Hoban, Younes; Mustivar
As soon as I mentioned it, it came through. I will have to try that later if Swansea are struggling for a goal!
For any Spurs fans out there, your team is annihilating Tbilisi. It's currently 5-0 with over 20 minutes remaining. You can catch the rest of the action by following our live commentary.
Winger Pablo Hernandez has been included this evening in place of the injured Nathan Dyer. The Spaniard believes that his past experience with Valencia can help the Swans in Europe this season.
While Hernandez will be expected to act as a leader for Swansea tonight, many eyes will be on the emerging partnership between Michu and Wilfried Bony in attack. They netted three goals between them in the last round against Malmo, and if that performance was anything to go by, they should be capable of doing the same this evening.
Laudrup has also opted to start with the familiar partnership of Ashley Williams and Chico Flores in defence. There was the possibility that Jordi Amat could have been brought in, but he has had to make do with a place on the bench.
If Swansea can negotiate themselves past the Romanians, they will join Wigan Athletic in the group stages. This time last year, who would have thought that those two teams would be representing England in Europe?
We are just over 20 minutes away from kickoff at the Liberty Stadium. I would imagine that the stadium would be full to capacity for tonight's match, but only 16,000 turned up in the last round. Let's hope it is a different story this evening.
It's still 5-0 over in Georgia. As the scoreline suggests, Spurs have totally dominated their opponents. I'm sure Andre Villas-Boas will be resting many of his star players for the return leg next week.
Looking at the scores from around Europe, Real Betis look to be struggling out in the Czech Republic against FK Baumit Jablonec. The score is currently locked at 1-1
The full-time whistle has gone in Tbilisi, and Spurs have indeed ran out 5-0 victors. That's perfect preparation for their fixture at the weekend, where they will host the team we are about to watch, Swansea.
PREDICTION! While Petrolul have started strongly their campaign strongly, you have to believe that Swansea will comfortably win this evening. If his side can open up a two-goal advantage, I'm sure Laudrup will be more than happy going into next week's second leg.
The crowd is slowly but surely beginning to build at the Liberty Stadium. I think we will be looking around the 16,000 mark once again.
Laudrup has touched on one possible problem that his side could face this evening. He told ITV Sport: "From a staff point of view, we are prepared, but of course, the players won't know their players, but their players know ours."
The teams are making their way out onto the pitch at the Liberty Stadium. We will be underway shortly.
Swansea get the action underway.
As expected, Swansea have dominated possession in the opening exchanges, but they can't force any decent opportunities.
Petrolul are managed by former West Brom defender Cosmin Contra, who has also played under Laudrup for a previous club. Swansea nearly creating an opening through Hernandez, but it's well defended by Petrolul.
Routledge is played in down the left-hand side, but the defender got back well to draw a foul out of the former Aston Villa winger.
Not a whole lot is happening at the moment. Swansea are probing away, but Petrolul look a resolute outfit. Swansea earn a corner through Routledge, but his cross is well headed away.
GOAL! Swansea City 1-0 Petrolul Ploiesti (Routledge)
More probing from the Swans, and this time, Hernandez earns a free-kick out on the right-hand side. It is quickly played, and after the ball is cut back, it reaches Routledge, who sees his shot from 14 yards deflected off a defender and into the net.
That goal has settled the home side, and has the potential to unnerve the Romanians. It was a needless error from the defender, as the ball was travelling safely into the arms of the goalkeeper.
20 minutes have gone at the Liberty, and I don't think Michel Vorm has touched the ball. Let's hope it continues that way...
GOAL! Swansea City 2-0 Petrolul Ploiest (Michu)
Swansea quickly double their lead, and who else, but Michu has scored their second. Shelvey delivered a ball to the back post for Hernandez, but after his effort was saved, Michu was on hand to poke the ball into the roof of the net.
GOAL! Swansea City 3-0 Petrolul Ploiesti (Routledge)
This is turning into an absolute rout for Swansea. Hernandez bursts down the right-hand side, and he floats the ball in for Routledge to head home at the near post. One foot...and perhaps a bit more...into the group stages.
I reckon Michael Laudrup might have been content with a start like this one. The opposition have offered nothing, but Swansea have looked class. There is almost a deflated atmosphere given how easy it has been so far.
Ashley Williams was flexing his knee early on in the first half. If the Swans can nick one more, I think Laudrup might opt to withdraw his captain at half-time.
Swansea have lost a little bit of their momentum, but they are still easily in control of this match. Petrolul have shown slightly more ambition going forward, but they are snatching at their shots if they get to within 35 yards of Vorm's goal.
Forget what I said about Ashley William's knee injury. He has just surged up the pitch to link up with Bony, but the pair couldn't combine to register a shot on goal. Bony, incidentally, has been very quiet.
CHANCE! Wayne Routledge, how have you missed that?! What a chance for the first hat-trick of his career. He is played through on goal, but with only the goalkeeper to beat, he blazed the ball over.
Swansea are really pushing for this fourth goal. This time, Hernandez breaks into the penalty area, but after cutting the ball back for Bony, the Ivory Coast man sends the ball wide of the near post.
Petrolul looked to have lost their temper. They are flying in with challenges from all angles, much to the anger of several of the Swans players. Something to keep an eye on.
HALF TIME: Swansea City 3-0 Petrolul Ploiesti
That was as comfortable as you could possibly imagine for Swansea. They have rarely had to get out of first gear against the Romanians, who have offered little or nothing in Swansea's defensive third. If Swansea keep a clean sheet or if they can add to their tally, this tie is done and dusted before the second leg.
If you had offered Wayne Routledge two goals before the match had started, he would have bitten your hand up, but he must be gutted not to have his hat-trick. He only had to place the ball to the side of the onrushing goalkeeper. On the positive side, he has another 45 minutes to put right that wrong.
Swansea have had a massive 70% of possession. To be fair, it has seemed much more than that. Petrolul have had just three shots in anger on Vorm's goal.
The two teams are heading back out. I guess the message from Michael Laudrup has been "more of the same, please".
Petrolul have made a change at half time, bringing on Adrian Cristea for Ovidiu Hoban. We are underway.
Petrolul have started this half extremely fast, and Taylor has to be on hand with a last-ditch tackle. At the other end, Bony turns beautifully before firing the ball against the crossbar.
That's another crude challenge from a Petrolul player. The referee needs to keep an eye on this because they aren't just marginally late.
SHOT! That's super play from Hernandez. The Spaniard found himself on the left, but after cutting inside, his right-foot shot flew just wide of the top corner.
SHOT! That would have been a terrific goal. The ball was teed up for Michu on the volley from 18 yards, but he could only fire the ball marginally wide of the post. Michu has been outstanding tonight.
The visitors are about to go for broke by making their final two substitutions, with Dore and Priso entering the fray.
GOAL! Swansea City 4-0 Petrolul Ploiesta (Pecanha own goal)
Well, I imagine that is that. Michu is played in behind the defence, and he drags the ball back for Bony, who sees his shot blocked by Pecanha, but the goalkeeper can only divert the ball into the net off his back.
That goal has enabled Michael Laudrup to make his first alteration of the evening, and there will be no hat-trick for Routledge, after he is replaced by Alejandro Pozuelo.
It really has been that easy for the Swans. Petrolul have been, to be frank, abysmal. Vitesse Arnhem must be lost with Wilfried Bony if they managed to lose to these!
BOOKING! That's a shocking challenge from Alves, and he is rightly booked. However, it does allow Laudrup the chance to make his second change, with Jonathan de Guzman replacing Jonjo Shelvey.
GOAL! Swansea City 5-0 Petrolul Ploiesti (Pozuelo)
It's oh so easy. De Guzman should get a shot off, but instead, he plays the ball to Michu, who in turns passes to Pozuelo, and the Spaniard has all the time in the world before dinking the ball over the advancing stopper.
Straight after that goal, Ashley Williams was withdrawn for Jordi Amat.
The intensity at the Liberty Stadium has dropped after that fifth goal. Petrolul are playing the ball around nicely, but it's all to no avail. Up the other end, Rangel's cross for Michu is volleyed into the stand.
Less than 10 minutes to go now. I think Swansea have all but settled for their five goals, but Petrolul are still trying to push forward. They earn a free-kick around 50 yards from goal, but the delivery is poor and Swansea clear.
Cristea tests Vorm with a driven 20-yard effort, but Swansea break through Michu. The attacking midfielder laid the ball off to Rangel, but just as though it appeared that Michu was going to head the resulting cross into the net, the defender stuck out a leg to divert the ball for a corner.
GOAL! Swansea City 5-1 Petrolul Ploiesti (Grosav)
Grosav has just scored a quite phenomenal goal...and I mean, PHENOMENAL. The ball was coming down from about 20 yards in the air, and Grosav has produced a stunning overhead-kick from 12 yards and sent the ball into the bottom corner. Just, wow.
There will be two minutes of added-on time.
FULL TIME: Swansea City 5-1 Petrolul Ploiesti
That's it from the Liberty Stadium, and Swansea have comfortably defeated their Romanian opponents by a 5-1 scoreline. That late goal from Petrolul does little to take the shine off what was a superb performance from the Welsh side.
They dominated the match from start to finish, with Michu predictably being impressive. The result should allow Michael Laudrup to alter his side a little bit ahead of the second leg in Romania in a week's time.
That's all from Sports Mole this evening. Thank you for joining us. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
