A scintillating display of football from Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ saw Jurgen Klopp’s side blaze their way into the Champions League knockout phase with a 7-0 victory over Spartak Moscow.
A first Reds hat-trick for Philippe Coutinho stole the show but the quality of all the goals – particularly Sadio Mane’s volley for the fourth – proved once again when this team click into gear they are irrepressible.
Needing only a draw to progress the Reds, who last time out conceded a three-goal half-time lead to draw against Sevilla, left no room for doubt with the damage done by Coutinho (two) and Roberto Firmino inside 20 minutes.
Mane produced a superb volley and tumbling tap-in to sandwich Coutinho’s deflected shot for his treble – the first by a Liverpool player in the Champions League since Yossi Benayoun in 2007 – before top scorer Mohamed Salah scored his 18th of the season late on.
what they said
“After a long time, being back, showing up, Liverpool is here again! I love this kind of news.”
Jürgen Klopp on Liverpool competing at Europe’s top table once more ???? pic.twitter.com/niyk7Uy2E4
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) December 6, 2017
Tweet of the match
Simply simply scintillating!!!bring on the toffees!
— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) December 6, 2017
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) looks forward to the derby with Everton at the weekend.
Star man – Philippe Coutinho
.@Phil_Coutinho‘s first ever #LFC hat-trick… pic.twitter.com/BKITo7qLwx
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 6, 2017
Liverpool’s attacking quartet were all in scintillating form but the Brazilian playmaker outshone his team-mates, cutting Spartak open drifting in from the left and scoring his first hat-trick for the club.
Moment of the match
Ohhh that is special! ????
Sadio Mané hammers Liverpool further ahead with a sensational volley! ???? pic.twitter.com/QK1aREH7DZ
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) December 6, 2017
Sadio Mane’s far-post volley from substitute James Milner’s left-wing cross. The Senegal international had been left in the shadows somewhat by the exploits of his fellow attackers but his finish was a brilliant one.
Data point
Salah gets in on the act and makes it 23 for @LFC in the group stage. They’re now 2nd in the all-time list 2 behind the record held by PSG which was also done this season, of course.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 6, 2017
The 23 goals scored by Liverpool is their best tally in a Champions League group stage, comfortably beating their previous best of 18 in 2007-08 and second only to Paris St-Germain (25 this season) in the all-time list.
Player ratings
5️⃣ changes for the Reds tonight…
Karius, Gomez, Klavan, Moreno and Mane all return.#LFC pic.twitter.com/4VXTnUacb0
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 6, 2017
Who’s up next?
Liverpool v Everton (Premier League, Sunday December 10)
