Reds beat Spartak, enter last 16
LIVERPOOL: Philippe Coutinho’s first Liverpool hattrick propelled Jurgen Klopp’s side to a 7-0 thrashing of Spartak Moscow on Wednesday that swept the Merseyside club into the Champions League last 16.
Sadio Mane scored twice and Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both found the net as Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ emphatically returned the five-time champions to the knockout rounds after a nine-year absence.
Group E winners Liverpool joined Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in progressing from the group phase, making England the first country to send five teams into the round of 16.
It was Liverpool’s second hefty group-stage win after a 7-0 rout of Maribor and erased memories of their previous outing in the competition, when they squandered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 away to runners-up Sevilla.
With Liverpool having plundered 32 goals in their last nine games, few teams will relish the prospect of facing off against Coutinho, Salah, Mane and Firmino in the last 16, the draw for which takes place on Monday.
But Klopp will have to do without midfielder Emre Can for the first leg of that tie, after he was booked against Spartak, and victory also came at the cost of an injury to left-back Alberto Moreno.
A Liverpool team showing five changes from Saturday’s 5-1 romp at Brighton and Hove Albion were 3-0 up inside 18 minutes. Coutinho sparked things off in the fourth minute, the Brazilian rolling a penalty into the bottom-right corner after Georgi Dzhikiya had barged into Salah as they waited for Coutinho’s deep cross to reach them.
Liverpool’s second goal, in the 15th minute, was a delight that showcased the ‘Fab Four’ at their clinical best. From Mane’s pass, Salah sent the ball out to Firmino on the right and his selfless square ball allowed Coutinho to tuck away his 50th goal in Liverpool colours.
MILNER IMPACT
Spartak’s defending was as desperate as Liverpool’s attacking was dazzling and a clumsy touch by Serdar Tasci opened the door to a third goal.
Unable to react quickly enough to Mane’s cross, the German centre-back inadvertently presented the ball on a plate to Firmino, who used the outside of his right foot to steer a shot past Aleksandr Selikhov.