Liverpool eventually eased to a 2-1 Champions League win at home to a ten-man Lille side on Tuesday, extending their unblemished record in Europe’s premier club competition to seven straight wins this season.
Lille came into Tuesday’s competition with the bitter taste of defeat as a distant memory, buoyed by a 21-game unbeaten run dating back to mid-September.
The French guests had many reasons to be confident and were further encouraged by a strong start Liverpoolan intimidating front line as well as the Anfield crowd. It took a moment of magic in the 34th minute for Merseyside to eventually erupt.
Jonathan David, Lille’s eternally sought forwardlost possession deep inside Liverpool’s half. Curtis Jones latched on to the loose ball and slotted it through a scattering of white shirts, splitting Lille and bringing Mohamed Salah one-on-one with Lucas Chevalier. There was always only one winner in that duel.
It looked as if the outcome of the entire match was similarly foretold. Liverpool barely crawled out of second gear but didn’t seem to need to, racing through the second half with the swagger of a team at the top of the Champions League table. A second yellow card for Lille right-back Aissa Mandi after an hour could have sealed the contest in the minds of many at Anfield.
It seems that some Liverpool players were of the same opinion, with Arne Slott’s side caught off guard by the slight reduction of Gabriel Gudmundsson. Hakon Haraldsson’s effort was blocked but David was on hand to fire Lille level just three minutes after being reduced to ten men.
It didn’t take long for the Reds to recover from the shock of conceding only the second goal Champions League goal this season. Harvey Elliott, one of two half-time substitutes made by Slot when Liverpool were very much in control, volleyed a half-cleared corner into the crowded penalty area, finding the bottom corner with an easy deflection in the 67th minute.
Despite some late threats from Lille, Liverpool held on for the three points that guarantee them a place in the last 16 of the Champions League regardless of any other results from across the continent.
*Ratings are provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Ratings |
|---|---|
|
GK: Alisson |
6.3/10 |
|
RB: Conor Bradley |
7.0/10 |
|
CB: Jarell Quansah |
7.2/10 |
|
CB: Virgil van Dijk |
6.7/10 |
|
LB: Kostas Tsimikas |
7.7/10 |
|
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai |
6.5/10 |
|
CM: Ryan Gravenberch |
6.8/10 |
|
CM: Curtis Jones |
7.3/10 |
|
RW: Mohamed Salah |
7.9/10 |
|
ST: Darwin Nunez |
8.0/10 |
|
LW: Luis Diaz |
7.7/10 |
|
UNDER: Alexis Mac Allister (46′ for Gravenberch) |
6.6/10 |
|
UNDER: Harvey Elliott (46′ for Jones) |
7.4/10 |
|
UNDER: Wataru Endo (63′ for Szoboszlai) |
6.2/10 |
|
UNDER: Federico Chiesa (75′ for Diaz) |
6.2/10 |
|
UNDER: Trent Alexander-Arnold (86′ for Bradley) |
ON |
Unused Subs: Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), Vitezslav Jaros (GK), Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate, Tyler Morton, Cody Gakpo, Jayden Danns
*Ratings are provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Evaluation |
|---|---|
|
GK: Lucas Chevalier |
7.5/10 |
|
RB: Aissa Mandi |
5.2/10 |
|
CB: Bafode Diakita |
5.9/10 |
|
CB: Alexsandro Ribeiro |
6.6/10 |
|
LB: Gabriel Gudmundsson |
6.3/10 |
|
CM: Ngal Ayel Mukau |
5.8/10 |
|
CM: Benjamin Andre |
5.9/10 |
|
in the morning: Hakon Haraldsson |
6.1/10 |
|
RW: Mitchell Bakker |
6.0/10 |
|
ST: Jonathan David |
7.2/10 |
|
LW: Remy Cabella |
6.8/10 |
|
UNDER: Thomas Meunier (63′ for Bakker) |
6.7/10 |
|
UNDER: Osmane Sahraoui (63′ for Cabello) |
6.6/10 |
|
UNDER: Ismaily (74′ for Gudmundsson) |
6.1/10 |
|
UNDER: Ayyoub Bouaddi (74′ for Mukau) |
6.2/10 |
Unused substitutes: Marc-Aurele Caillard (GK), Vito Mannone (GK), Isaac Cossier, Angel Gomes, Ethan Mbappe, Mohamed Bayo
Player of the match – Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
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