Liverpool, Barcelona march into quarterfinals
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool is back as one of European football’s powerhouses after it dispatched Bayern Munich yesterday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals along with Barcelona.
Sadio Mane struck twice as Juergen Klopp’s visiting side beat German champion Bayern 31 in Munich while two goals from Lionel Messi helped Barcelona romp past Lyon 51 at the Nou Camp.
Both roundof16 first legs ended goalless but Liverpool and
Barcelona earned their passage to the last eight with comfortable victories.
Bayern suffered its earliest Champions League exit since alast 16 departure in 2011 as fellow fivetime European champions Liverpool won its first away game of this season’s competition.
‘‘We laid down a marker tonight that Liverpool are back on the top level of European football,’’ Klopp asid.
The Reds were dealt an early blow when Jordan Henderson pulled up injured and had to be replaced.
However, Mane produced a brilliant piece of skill to fool Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as he broke the deadlock on 26 minutes.
The Senegalese forward turned the goalkeeper who had rushed out, before lofting the ball home in style, ensuring Neuer would not enjoy his 100th Champions League appearance.
‘‘The first goal, I have to watch it back probably 500 times,’’ Klopp said.
‘‘It’s outstanding what [Mane] was doing. Apart from Henderson’s injury, everything was perfect.’’
Joel Matip’s own goal levelled the score before Virgil Van Dijk’s towering header from a corner sent Liverpool back ahead on 69 minutes.
Mane added another late on for his 10th goal in the past 10 games across all competitions.
Liverpool’s progress meant four English teams are in today’s draw for the quarterfinals for the first time since 2008.
‘‘It is good for English football, that’s what you want,’’ James Milner said.
The eight qualified teams are Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Juventus, Porto and Ajax.
Barcelona started at an intense speed at the Camp Nou and rarely let up against Lyon as it reached the quarterfinals for the 12th season in a row.
Luis Suarez won a penalty when Jason Denayer was adjudged to have brought him down in the box and Messi kept his cool with a brilliant panenka to open the scoring on 18 minutes. Uruguayan Suarez then teed up Philippe Coutinho for a tapin to double the lead just after the hoiur mark.
Lyon struck through Lucas Tousart in the 58th but its hopes were quickly thwarted when Messi scored Barca’s third before Gerard Pique and substitute Ousmane Dembele added late goals.
‘‘When he’s at that level you almost can’t stop him,’’ Lyon coach Bruno Genesio said of Messi. — DPA