Match Report
Liverpool sealed automatic qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League by defeating Qarabag 6-0 at Anfield.
Goals from Alexis Mac Allister (two), Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa on Wednesday night clinched the Reds a third-place finish in the league phase.
Mac Allister headed his side in front after 15 minutes and the advantage was doubled with a tidy Wirtz finish a few moments later.
The scoring was then completed in the second half by Salah, Ekitike, Mac Allister and the substitute Chiesa.
Having earned the reward of avoiding the knockout round play-offs, Arne Slot's men will resume their European campaign in March when the Round of 16 gets under way.
Team
Ekitike and Milos Kerkez were the two changes to the line-up deployed at AFC Bournemouth on the weekend, replacing Joe Gomez and Milos Kerkez.
Ryan Gravenberch started at centre-back.
First half
Liverpool were forced into an early change when Jeremie Frimpong pulled up, with Wataru Endo called upon to fill in at right-back.
The opening exchanges just consisted of the teams trading a shot each; Camilo Duran forced Alisson Becker into a comfortable save before Ekitike went close with a low hit from the edge of the box.
But after that, the hosts were in control of proceedings thanks to a six-minute burst.
To break the deadlock, Ekitike flicked on a corner from the left to Virgil van Dijk at the back post, where Mac Allister was also stationed and able to redirect the skipper's nod over the line.
The lead was two when Wirtz received possession off Ekitike – who had done well to hold off two challenges – and ended a drive at goal by drilling past Mateusz Kochalski from the edge of the box.
With Robertson, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo all going close, the Reds were unfortunate to not add a third prior to the break.
Second half
It did arrive, however, five minutes into the new period.
In a role reversal from Bournemouth a few days earlier, Szoboszlai backheeled a free-kick for Salah to bend beautifully into the top corner.
Liverpool kept pressing for more and deservedly got their rewards.
It was 4-0 when Ekitike capitalised on a missed clearance by Bahlul Mustafazada to race through on goal and calmly convert.
Mac Allister grabbed his second on the hour mark, rounding the 'keeper and tapping in after Matheus Silva inadvertently nudged the ball into his path.
The Reds continued to create more – including Mac Allister nearly completing his hat-trick – but it was Chiesa that added the sixth in the final minute, having been teed up by an on-the-march Van Dijk.
SOURCE: www.liverpoolfc.com
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