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From Anfield – Liverpool qualified for the Champions League round of 16 after beating ten-man Lille 2-1 at Anfield on Tuesday.
The Reds looked set for a straightforward evening when Aisa Mandi received his marching orders and his side were already trailing. Mohammed Salah First half goal. But Jonathan David’s strike ensured the hosts were made to work for a win which was sealed by Harvey Elliott’s deflected second-half try.
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 most cases Liverpoolof games this season, the proceedings at Anfield got off to a rocky start. As such, by the half-hour mark, both sides had managed only one shot, which failed to test the goalkeeper.
However, it was at that point that Liverpool came alive, a goal by Salah kicking off a flurry of chances late in the half. The Egyptian capped off a quick counter by running onto Curtis Jones’ through pass through a Kostas Tsimikas tackle and finishing with a customary cool.
And he ended the half with another goal in almost identical circumstances, getting a superb first touch past Gabriel Gudmundsson, but this time sending his effort wide of the post.
Salah was almost on the scoresheet again after the restart, but miscued a curling effort after a slick build-up, giving Liverpool the opportunity to head Jerrell Kwansah from a free-kick.
However, the mounting pressure soon told differently, with Lilly making it ten after Mandi received a second yellow card for tripping Luis Diaz’s running back.
But if that moment signaled the end of the game as a contest, clearly no one told the visitors, who leveled things moments later when the hosts failed to clear a cross from the left after David turned home inside the box. .
That joy was short-lived, however, as a huge slice of luck restored Liverpool’s lead, with Ngal’Ayel Mukau’s remarkable deflection ensuring a low Elliott strike into the back of the net.
From there, Liverpool saw things out in mostly quiet fashion, securing their next trip to PSV Eindhoven.
Check out the player ratings for Liverpool 2-1 Lille here.
So a wide margin may have helped, but Harvey Elliott’s decisive goal was further proof that the youngster still has a big role to play for Liverpool this season.
The 21-year-old struggled for minutes under Arne Slott, but strengthened his case for greater involvement coming off the bench to play a key part in two goals. Beat Brentford at the weekend.
And he was just as impressive here, dragging down a stubborn Lille backline before unleashing the strike that restored Liverpool’s advantage. A certain slot can no longer ignore a player who is not only one for the future, but clearly for the now as well.
Liverpool will know coming into this game that the prospect of securing passage to the Champions League round of 16 promises benefits beyond a kinder draw in the knockout stages.
And they will reap the benefits next week, when they travel to PSV Eindhoven to complete this division of the competition. The slot will now have the luxury of naming a fully-rotated team and leaving some of the big guns behind for a well-earned rest.
Barcelona’s late exploits against Benfica ensure they are the only club who can catch Liverpool at the top of the league stage table, yet there is no difference when it comes to the first and second place seedings. Liverpool are guaranteed a place as one of the top two meaning they will play one of the 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th placed teams in the round of 16.
Despite conceding a goal here, it was another performance that eased concerns about a recent defensive wobble from Liverpool.
David’s strike represented Lille’s only shot on target, and even when the sides were 11 against 11, their threat was expertly managed.
It was thanks to a brilliant collective effort that ensured a new club record in Europe for minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing the previous benchmark of 572 marked under Rafa Benitez.
