Klopp’s Fab Four hit the right notes
DOMINIC KING
LIVERPOOL sealed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League by thrashing Spartak Moscow as stand-in skipper Philippe Coutinho hit a hat-trick.
On a historic night for English football, Liverpool joined Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham in Monday’s draw for the knockout stages. It is the first time any country has had five clubs in the last 16 of the competition.
As for Anfield, the four leaders of Liverpool’s orchestra were all present at the same time as Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane combined to light up a cold European night.
The first of Coutinho’s hat-trick came from a penalty early on and the third was a deflected shot. But the one in between was majestic, while Firmino’s finish with the outside of his foot on the half-volley was made to look rather ordinary by a second-half Mane volley that almost ripped the net from its moorings at the Kop end.
Liverpool were ahead in only the fourth minute and it was all Spartak’s fault.
The ball Coutinho aimed towards the head of Salah was speculative at best. But instead of allowing what was an overhit pass to pass harmlessly over both their heads and out of play, Georgi Dzhikiya chose to get physical with his opponent. When he needlessly dragged Salah to the ground, the referee was alert enough to award the penalty.
Coutinho took the kick and paused slightly before contact in order to send goalkeeper Aleksandr Selikhov the wrong way.
Already chasing the game, Spartak tried to respond and, in doing so, left huge gaps in their own half of the field. As a result, the game was over within 20 minutes.
The second arrived in the 15th minute. This was a beautiful goal, too, a result of passing, movement, vision and understanding. Dejan Lovren started the move in his own half and when Mane and Salah funnelled the ball to Firmino on the right overlap, the Brazilian chose his moment perfectly to pull it back across goal for Coutinho to finish with an equally calm sidefoot.
This was everything Jurgen Klopp strives for as a manager and it was followed by a third four minutes later.
Once more, there was a Spartak mistake involved — Denis Glushakov giving the ball away in centre field.
And as before, Liverpool punished their opponents with Mane’s cross rebounding off Serdar Tasci in the box and Firmino finishing beautifully with the outside of his right foot.
Two minutes into the second half, Liverpool added another. With Alberto Moreno off with an injury, substitute James Milner was played down the left by Coutinho and, when the cross reached Mane at the far post, he crashed it high into the net with a scissor kick of immaculate timing and power.
Three minutes later, they were at it again as Milner allowed Coutinho to dance into the penalty area. His low shot struck Salvatore Bocchetti and spun past goalkeeper Selikhov for the Liverpool No 10’s hat-trick.
As the night went on, Spartak continued to help out when they could and the Russians were hustled out of possession again with 15 minutes left. When Emre Can fed Daniel Sturridge down the right, the substitute unselfishly chose to cross and Mane dragged in his second goal with his right foot from six yards.
Still Liverpool were not finished. They had already scored seven once in the competition at Maribor and here they equalled that when Salah left his man on his back with another superb turn in the box before placing a right-foot shot high into the back of the net.
Klopp said: ‘Nobody could imagine that it would go like this tonight.
‘It was an all-or-nothing game for both teams. We opened the game perfectly and, after we took the lead, we didn’t have to defend. ‘It was a nice night at Anfield. ‘I have nothing to moan about tonight. It’s all good. The defence was spot on.’