By Daily Sports on April 5, 2018

Liverpool took control of their Champions League quarter-final with Manchester City following a comfortable win at Anfield.

After scoring three goals in the first half, they sat back and soaked up the City pressure and rarely looked like coughing anything up in a solid defensive display.

The visitors were on top in the early exchanges and Liverpool struggled to get their foot on the ball for the first ten minutes.

But all that changed on 12 minutes when Mo Salah finished off a move started near his own box by Sadio Mane and with Roberto Firmino providing the assist. There was a hint of off-side in the build-up, though none of the match officials spotted it and the goal stood.

Liverpool doubled their lead on 21 minutes when Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain struck a sweet shot from outside the box and watched it fly past City keeper Ederson.

On 31 minutes Liverpool were sent went into dreamland when Mane nodded in Salah's cross with the visiting defence wrong-footed and it stayed 3-0 until half-time.

City’s team bus was attacked with bottles and fireworks on its way to the ground, prompting a pre-match apology from Liverpool FC and manager Jurgen Klopp.

It’s unclear whether or not this had any influence on their poor first half showing, though they did start the game brightly before Liverpool took control following their opening goal.

Concerns about windows being smashed on the coach, with thousands of Liverpool fans lining the streets on their approach to the ground armed with smoke bombs and flares, were nothing compared to Pep Guardiola’s annoyance at the wheels coming off in the opening 45 minutes.

The Reds’ hopes were hit when top-scorer Salah was forced off with a groin injury not long after the break, replaced by Georginio Wijnaldum.

Liverpool’s already thin resources were stretched further on 71 minutes when the inexperienced Dominic Solanke came on for Firmino.

Shortly before the hour mark, former Anfield favourite Raheem Sterling was introduced by Guardiola in place of Ilkay Guendogan as he looked to inject to attacking intent into his team.

But it didn’t work and despite the fact City dominated the second period in terms of possession, they created precious few clear-cut goal chances with David Silva’s uncharacteristic poor control in the six-yard box indicative of the pressure they were under.

Jordan Henderson’s booking for a foul on former Reds winger Raheem Sterling rules him out next week but it could not spoil another special night under the lights

Henderson told BT Sport: “We knew the atmosphere would be brilliant, it was from the start and I felt we did that. Front foot, high intensity and it was a good first half from us. Overall, I think we defended brilliantly.

“Everybody chipped in with the hard yards and we got our just rewards at the end with the goals.”

Goalscorer Oxlade-Chamberlain added: “It was a great start. We knew we had to start fast. I think we won the game in the first half and then we had to defend well in the second half.”

•Photo shows Salah (middle) celebrating his goal.

Source Daily Sports

Posted April 5, 2018

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