Match report and talking points as the Reds secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League
FROM ANFIELD – Liverpool secured passage to the round of 16 of the Champions League by beating 10-man Lille 2-1 at Anfield on Tuesday.
The Reds looked set for an easy evening when Aissa Mandi was given his marching orders, his side already trailing to Mohamed Salah goal in the first half. But Jonathan David’s strike ensured the hosts had to work for the win which was sealed by a deflected Harvey Elliott effort in the second half.
Liverpool’s win combined with Barcelona’s defeat at Benfica means they will progress to the next round as group winners.
How it unfolded
As was the case in the majority LiverpoolIn games this season, there was a tricky start at Anfield. Thus, until half an hour, both sides sent only one shot each, and neither managed to test the goalkeeper.
However, that was the moment Liverpool came alive, spurning a string of chances created late in the half with a goal through Salah. The Egyptian halted a quick counter-attack that was started by Kostas Tsimikas’ cross by running onto Curtis Jones’ pass and finishing with his usual cool.
And he almost ended the half with another goal in similar circumstances, a brilliant first-time effort past Gabriel Gudmondsson, but this time his effort went wide of the post.
Salah was almost on the scoresheet again after the restart but missed a curling effort after a slick build-up, Liverpool’s chance followed by Jarell Quansah’s header from a free-kick.
However, the mounting pressure soon showed in a different way, with Lille down to ten after Mandi received a second yellow card for tripping Luis Diaz as he tried to run in behind.
But if that moment was to mark the end of the game as a contest, then apparently no one told the visitors, who leveled matters moments later when David turned home inside the penalty area after the hosts failed to clear a cross from the left.
That joy was short-lived though, with a huge stroke of luck restoring Liverpool’s lead, a remarkable deflection from Ngal’Ayel Mukau ensuring Elliott’s low shot nestled into the back of the net.
From there, Liverpool took a mostly calm look at things, ensuring their upcoming trip to PSV Eindhoven had very little impact.
Check out the player ratings for Liverpool 2-1 Lille here.
So a considerable deflection may have helped, but Harvey Elliott’s crucial goal here offered even more evidence that the youngster still has a big role to play for Liverpool this season.
The 21-year-old struggled for minutes under Arne Slot but strengthened his case for more involvement by coming off the bench to play a key role in the two goals that beat Brentford at the weekend.
He was equally impressive here, pulling Lille’s stubborn back line back and forth before slotting home the strike that restored Liverpool’s lead. Surely Slot can no longer ignore a player who is not only a player for the future, but obviously for now as well.
Going into this game, Liverpool will know that the potential to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League promises benefits beyond a better draw in the knockout stages.
And they will be able to take advantage of that next week when they travel to PSV Eindhoven to conclude this leg of the competition. The slot will now have the luxury of naming a fully rotated team and leaving some big players for a well-deserved rest.
Barcelona’s late heroics against Benfica ensure they are the only club capable of catching Liverpool at the top of the league table, but there is no difference when it comes to the seeding between first and second place. Liverpool’s guaranteed position as one of the top two means they will play one of the teams that finish 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th in the round of 16.
Despite the goal conceded here, this was another performance that will ease concerns about Liverpool’s perceived recent defensive faltering.
David’s strike represented Lille’s only shot on goal and their threat was expertly controlled even when the sides were 11 on 11.
That was largely thanks to a brilliant collective effort, which secured a new club record for minutes without conceding a goal in Europe, surpassing the previous mark of 572 recorded under Rafa Benitez.
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