Emmanuel Adebayor (AFP)

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Manchester - Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat-rick for Manchester City in a 3-1 victory over Lech Poznan on Thursday that put the English side clear at the top of Europa League Group A.

The Togo striker ended his goal drought this season with two well-taken finishes in the first half to put City 2-0 ahead by halftime.

Joel Tshibamba reduced the Polish champion's deficit by slotting home a shot on the turn five minutes into the second half but Adebayor made the game safe by sidefooting in David Silva's cross in the 73rd.

City ended Lech's unbeaten start to the group and climbed to the summit on seven points from three games.

It was a welcome return to form for Adebayor, whose first-team opportunities have been limited this season.

Europa League group stage results:

Group A
Manchester City 3-1 Lech Poznan
Salzburg 1-1 Juventus

Group B
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Rosenborg Trondheim
Aris Salonika 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Group C
Sporting 5-1 Ghent
Lille 1-0 Levski Sofia

Group D
Villarreal 1-0 PAOK Salonika
Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Club Bruges

Group E
Sheriff Tiraspol 0-1 BATE Borisov
AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Dynamo Kiev

Group F
Palermo 0-3 CSKA Moscow
Sparta Prague 3-3 FC Lausanne-Sport

Group G
Zenit St Petersburg 2 Hajduk Split 0
Anderlecht 3 AEK Athens 0

Group H
Young Boys 4 OB Odense 2
VfB Stuttgart 1 Getafe 0

Group I
Metalist Kharkiv 2 Sampdoria 1
Debrecen 1 PSV Eindhoven 2

Group J
Borussia Dortmund 1 Paris St Germain 1
Karpaty Lviv 0 Sevilla 1

Group K
Utrecht 1 Steaua Bucharest 1
Napoli 0 Liverpool 0 - MATCH REPORT

Group L
CSKA Sofia 0 Rapid Vienna 2
Besiktas 1 Porto 3