Liverpool booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a commanding 6-0 demolition of Qarabag at Anfield, producing a ruthless display to ease pressure on manager Arne Slot.
Mohamed Salah emphatically ended his goal drought, scoring for the first time since November as the Reds cruised past the Azerbaijani side to secure automatic qualification.
Read Also: UCL: Arsenal sweep league phase to secure top spot
The Egyptian netted Liverpool’s third goal on a night when the hosts were in complete control from start to finish.
Liverpool made the breakthrough after 15 minutes when Alexis Mac Allister headed in from a corner, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line despite goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski’s desperate attempt to claw it away.
Florian Wirtz doubled the lead six minutes later with a crisp low finish before Salah produced his moment of quality shortly after the break. Having been fouled on the edge of the area, the forward curled a free-kick into the top corner from Dominic Szoboszlai’s touch, celebrating exuberantly in front of the Kop.
Qarabag were overwhelmed as Liverpool added two more in quick succession. Hugo Ekitike raced clear to score before Mac Allister tapped in his second from close range following a defensive mix-up.
Substitute Federico Chiesa completed the rout late on, finishing calmly from a Virgil van Dijk pass to cap a dominant team performance.
With Mac Allister scoring twice and goals also coming from Wirtz, Salah, Ekitike, and Chiesa, Liverpool shrugged off recent domestic struggles to finish third in the league phase and underline their pedigree on the European stage.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
