With Luke Chambers and Conor Bradley getting a run-out in the final minutes, following goals for the front three, this was a comfortable victory for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp however, at times, looked exasperated by his side’s wastefulness, whilst Caoimhin Kelleher had to make some smart second half saves. The 4-0 victory ensured that Liverpool topped the group, and can now put European football to bed until March.
Klopp made nine changes from the weekend’s draw at the Etihad, with starts for Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliot and Luis Diaz, amongst others, and it was the Colombian who headed Liverpool’s opener within ten minutes. LASK looked over-run, and Cody Gapko soon added to the score line, after being presented with a tap in by Mo Salah.
At this point, a rout looked possible, but the Austrian visitors continued to play with enterprise and attacking intent. They created half chances and always posed a threat, but simply lacked the quality to find the back of the net.
A penalty, clinically despatched by Salah early in the second half, ultimately ended the game as a contest before Gapko completed his brace with a thunderous finish as full-time approached. Klopp finally appeared relaxed on the touchline and, upon hearing that Toulouse had failed to win, his side topped the group with a game to spare.
Liverpool have now won all 10 games at Anfield this season, while Salah now has 199 goals for the club. With a strong position in the league and a quarter-final League Cup game to come, before a busy Christmas period, Klopp will surely be delighted with his team’s progress.
