The finest compliment to Xabi Alonso, Arne Slot wrote in his programme notes, “is to be the best Liverpool that we can possibly be with no quarter asked and no quarter given.” Liverpool obliged to perfection to give their former favourite a harrowing return to Anfield.
The champions of Germany were dissected in a dominant second-half performance by Liverpool who maintained their 100% record in this season’s Champions League courtesy of a Luis Diaz hat-trick and a Cody Gakpo header. Leverkusen were unbeaten themselves before arriving at Anfield. They left chastened, Liverpool soaring to the top of the table with the confidence of a team that has won a remarkable 14 of the first 16 games under Slot.
It is rare to see a manager acclaimed by both sets of supporters but Alonso made for an understandable exception. The Leverkusen coach received a rapturous reception from Liverpool fans when conducting a TV interview in front of the Main Stand before kick-off, and another from the travelling contingent when continuing his media rounds in their corner of the stadium. A penny for Alonso’s thoughts when stood alongside Frank Lampard at the pundits’ podium? The pair exchanged several blows during their days in the midfields of Liverpool and Chelsea. One resulted in Alonso suffering a broken ankle early in his Anfield career.
“I don’t have time for tourism,” the former Liverpool midfielder had said on the eve of the contest, making it clear that the mission here was to defeat his former club. It will have been a relief to Alonso to park the sentiment and get on with the game, which kicked off following a minute’s silence for the victims of the floods in Valencia. But he wouldn’t have been the only person left wanting more by a sterile first half.
There was plenty of quality in possession on display and, as per Slot’s instructions, an immediate improvement on Liverpool’s last start against Brighton. Luis Díaz was preferred to Darwin Núñez in the centre of Liverpool’s attack and created an early opening for Cody Gakpo. His low shot was heading for the far corner of Lukas Hradecky’s net until it struck Edmond Tapsoba on the heel. For all of Liverpool’s industry, however, and Leverkusen’s ability to play their way through the middle with Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios and Florian Wirtz, there was precious little incident in the first half.
The sharp and dangerous Wirtz created the best opening with a delightful chip over the Liverpool defence for Jeremie Frimpong. Rather than shoot, the Leverkusen wing-back went down too easily under the slightest touch from Virgil van Dijk. The experienced referee Danny Makkelie was having none of his ambitious penalty appeals. Frimpong did beat Caoimhín Kelleher with an emphatic finish shortly before the interval but had handled when knocking the ball away from Kostas Tsimikas.
Hradecky saved from Salah at his near post when Liverpool broke after a Leverkusen free-kick, and at the opposite corner from Gakpo when he was released by an excellent crossfield ball by Curtis Jones. The keepers were rarely troubled otherwise before the break. A first half for the purists, if we are being kind.
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The Salah and Gakpo chances signalled a shift in momentum by Liverpool, however, and their improvement continued into the second half. Leverkusen sought to stall it with slow, patient play in their deep-lying defence. It was a bit too blatant for Makkelie’s liking, who booked the visiting goalkeeper for time-wasting after several warnings. Hradecky’s problems mounted when he was beaten by an exquisite Díaz chip seconds later.
Jones was integral to Liverpool’s best work. The midfielder showed neat footwork inside the penalty area to create an early chance for himself but lifted his shot high into the Kop. A surging run from Ryan Gravenberch then resulted in a clear opening for Salah, who showed why he trusts his left foot to such devastating effect by slicing well wide with his right.
No matter. The threat from Liverpool persisted and Jones pierced the Leverkusen defence with a superb pass threaded behind Tapsoba and into the run of Díaz. The Colombia international waited for Hradecky to commit himself before scooping a wonderful chip over the advancing keeper.
Champions League roundup: Dortmund leave it late to beat Graz
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Borussia Dortmund left it late to secure a 1-0 win over Storm Graz courtesy of Donyell Malen’s strike four minutes from time.
Thilo Kehrer stabbed home from close range in the 86th minute to lift Monaco into third as they earned a 1-0 win over Bologna.
Dusan Vlahovic’s second-half penalty cancelled out Jonathan David’s opener as Juventus drew 1-1 with Lille.
In the early games, Dinamo Zagreb earned a second consecutive victory in the competition with an emphatic 4-1 win over Slavic Bratislava while PSV picked up their first European win this season with a 4-0 thrashing of Girona. PA Media
The Bundesliga champions, like Brighton before them, were sucker-punched by a rapid second goal from Liverpool. Alonso’s side were still clearing their heads from the disappointment of falling behind when Salah exchanged passes with Díaz and swept a fine first time cross to the far post. Gakpo, rising unmarked, sent a thumping header past the Leverkusen keeper. Liverpool’s celebrations were initially halted by an assistant’s flag for offside. VAR rekindled them following a lengthy review.
Victor Boniface, who had a poor night at the head of the visitors’ forward line, spurned a glorious chance to reduce the arrears when heading Wirtz’s cross wide. Liverpool made him pay. Hradecky prevented Alexis Mac Allister adding a third with a good save low to his left but was beaten again when Salah floated another inviting cross over.
Díaz shrugged rolled a measured finish into the far corner. Three-nil up and coasting, the Kop decided it was time to sing Alonso’s name. Díaz decided it was time for his hat-trick. Hradecky denied Darwin Núñez but the rebound fell perfectly for the makeshift striker to convert.
