Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as Diaz hat-trick gives Reds easy win
Liverpool 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen: The Reds are top of the Champions League after a rout at Anfield
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool moved to the top of the Champions League table and kept their European winning streak going with a fine outing against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.
Xabi Alonso’s German champions were solid and secure in a tentative first half that lacked quality in front of goal. Luis Diaz found the goalkeeper’s gloves and Jeremie Frimpong had a goal ruled out for offside as the teams traded blows.
The second half was all Liverpool. Three goals, two for Diaz and one for Cody Gakpo ensured they left the field with three points and another notch to Arne Slot’s reputation. Diaz’s first was made by Curtis Jones who slipped a fine pass into the box before Diaz chipped the goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Mo Salah then set up the second with a cross to Gakpo who headed home a few minutes later. That broke Leverkusen’s resistance and the Reds added a late third as Salah found Diaz for his second of the night.
Diaz wasn’t done though. With three minutes of added time, Liverpool countered and Darwin Nunez set Diaz up to complete his hat-trick.
Relive the Champions League action with our live blog below:
Full-time! Liverpool 4-0 Leverkusen
90+4 mins: Liverpool moved to the top of the Champions League table and kept their European winning streak going with a fine outing against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.
Xabi Alonso’s German champions were solid and secure in a tentative first half that lacked quality in front of goal. Luis Diaz found the goalkeeper’s gloves and Jeremie Frimpong had a goal ruled out for offside as the teams traded blows.
The second half was all Liverpool. Three goals, two for Diaz and one for Cody Gakpo ensured they left the field with three points and another notch to Arne Slot’s reputation. Diaz’s first was made by Curtis Jones who slipped a fine pass into the box before Diaz chipped the goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Mo Salah then set up the second with a cross to Gakpo who headed home a few minutes later. That broke Leverkusen’s resistance and the Reds added a late third as Salah found Diaz for his second of the night.
Diaz wasn’t done though. With three minutes of added time, Liverpool countered and Darwin Nunez set Diaz up to complete his hat-trick.
GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Leverkusen (Luis Diaz, 90+2 mins)
Andy Robertson slides into a tackle to win the ball and kick start a sweeping counter attack. He feeds it to Darwin Nunez who flies up the pitch and has a shot deflected into the path of Luis Diaz.
Diaz has eyes for goal and slots home to complete a hat-trick and a Liverpool rout.
Liverpool 3-0 Leverkusen
90 mins: Three minutes of added time to play.
Liverpool 3-0 Leverkusen
86 mins: A Liverpool break is led by Darwin Nunez but he makes the wrong decision with a pass to the right which gets intercepted and cleared.
It shouldn’t make a difference to the result but for Nunez’s confidence he’ll want to see this game out strongly.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Leverkusen (Luis Diaz, 83 mins)
83 mins: Arne Slot’s Liverpool are looking better and better with each game they play.
Mo Salah receives the ball on the right. He rolls it onto his left foot and whips a cross over to the back post where Luis Diaz brings the ball down under pressure then curls it into the net.
Liverpool 2-0 Leverkusen
81 mins: More changes from Arne Slot. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas and Cody Gakpo are off with Conor Bradley, Andy Robertson and Darwin Nunez brought on.
Fresh legs to close out this match for the Reds.
Liverpool 2-0 Leverkusen
79 mins: Around the Champions League there are some surprising scorelines. Celtic are still beating RB Leipzig but it’s now 3-1 while Sporting CP have taken a 3-1 lead over Man City and Real Madrid are losing 3-1 to AC Milan.
Liverpool 2-0 Leverkusen
76 mins: Liverpool spray the ball over to the right side and give Mo Salah a chase into the penalty area. Lukas Hradecky comes off his line and clutches the ball before Salah gets there.
Liverpool 2-0 Leverkusen
73 mins: Arne Slot makes a change now with the creator of the first goal, Curtis Jones, heading off so that Dominik Szoboszlai gets a run out.
That’s not a bad change is it?
Liverpool 2-0 Leverkusen
70 mins: It’s party time at Anfield. The crowd are loving this game now and so are the Liverpool players.
They’re flooding into the box and taking shots from here, there and everywhere. Alexander-Arnold strikes one from range and laces the effort up and over.
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