When Jurgen Klopp closes his eyes at night, this is the kind of football he surely must see. This is the kind of football the German came to Liverpool to deliver and when it all falls in to place like this it seems unfeasible to think that anybody would ever doubt him.
Klopp is yet to deliver a trophy to Liverpool in his two years and his team currently sit 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. So that’s the bad news.
Here in superb animation was all the good news bundled into one as Klopp’s Liverpool team ripped Spartak Moscow apart with the kind of football that you are only privileged to witness once in a while.
Liverpool made the perfect start with Philippe Coutinho’s early penalty after Mo Salah was pushed to the ground
Coutinho doubled the advantage after a sweeping move, finishing into the bottom corner after a Roberto Firmino pass
It was 3-0 after just 18 minutes when Firmino capitalised on a defensive error to finish instinctively against Spartak Moscow
Sadio Mane added the fourth goal three minutes after half time with a powerful volley from a perfect James Milner cross
Coutinho completed his hat-trick just two minutes after Mane’s goal, in front of the Kop, with a heavily deflected shot
Mane added goal No 6 with a back-heel flick following a low cross by second half substitute Daniel Sturridge
Salah was only member of Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ not to score until he slammed into the roof of the net with five minutes left
FULL MATCH FACTS AND EXCLUSIVE MATCH ZONE
Liverpool (4-3-3): Karius; Gomez, Klavan, Lovren (Alexander-Arnold 60), Moreno (Milner 45); Can, Wijnaldum, Coutinho; Mane, Salah, Firmino (Sturridge 72)
Unused subs: Mignolet, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke
Goals: Coutinho 4 pen, 15, 50, Firmino 18, Mane 48, 75, Salah 86
Booking: Can 6
Spartak Moscow (4-2-3-1): Selikhov; Eshchenko, Tasci, Bocchetti, Dzhikia (Pasalic 60); Fernando, Glushakov; Zobnin, Adriano, Promes (Samedov 74); Ze Luis (Melgarejo 51)
Unused subs: Rebrov, Kutepov, Popov, Pedro Rocha
Booking: Dzhikia 4, Fernando 62
All of Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’ – Mane, Salah, Firmino and Coutinho – were all involved in the build up to their second goal. For more facts and stats, visit our exclusive MATCH ZONE service by clicking here.
Spartak are the Russian champions and as such are no mugs. Here at Anfield, though, they were embarrassed by Liverpool, dismantled by the kind of devastating passing football that is only possible to attempt when you are blessed with a certain kind of player.
Here, the four leaders of Liverpool’s orchestra were all present at the same time as Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Saido Mane combined to light up a cold European night.
The first of Coutinho’s hat-trick came from the penalty spot early on and the third was a deflected shot. But the one in between was majestic while Firmino’s finish with the outside of his foot on the half volley was made to look rather ordinary by a second half Mane volley that almost ripped the net from its moorings at the Kop end.
There could have been more, too. Liverpool were forensic in the way they created chances but not always in the way that they attempted to finish them. Nevertheless, Liverpool have scored 21 goals in six European games this season and it is no surprise to see them through as winners of Group E.
When you are away from home and need a result to have any chance of progress, it is important not to make early mistakes. That is especially so against a team like Liverpool. Giving Klopp’s team an early chance is like opening the door to a burglar. An inch is they all need to smash it down.
Here, Spartak pretty much opened the door wide for Liverpool to pour straight through. Liverpool were ahead in only the fourth minute and it was all the Russians’ fault.
Liverpool needed a win in order to qualify and were given a huge chance after four minutes when Salah was pushed over
Coutinho tucked away the penalty with ease to set Liverpool on course for the Champions League knock out stages
Liverpool needed a win to go through as group winners, and went 2-0 up when Coutinho finished into the bottom corner
Coutinho was named captain for the Wednesday night game and led by example with two well taken finishes at Anfield
Victory, which was all but secured inside 20 minutes with Firmino’s goal, ensured five English teams get into the last 16
It is the first time a nation has had so many teams through to the knockouts, and Liverpool showed why they should be feared
The ball Coutinho aimed towards the head of Mo Salah was speculative at best. The Egyptian was probably the smallest player on the field and was being marked by a much taller man.
Instead of allowing what was an over hit ball to pass harmlessly over both their heads and out of play, Georgi Dzhikiya chose to get physical with his opponent and when he needlessly dragged Salah to the ground the referee was alert enough to award the penalty. Coutinho took the kick and paused slightly before contact in order to send goalkeeper Aleksandr Selikhov the wrong way.
Ahead so early, Liverpool were in the position they love so much. Klopp’s team tend to struggle when goal remain goalless for long periods and opponents sit ever deeper and squeeze the play and the space.
Here, already chasing the game, Spartak tried to respond and in doing so left huge gaps in their own half of the field. As a result, the game was over within 20 minutes.
When Liverpool are in this mood, they are extremely ruthless. Everything they do looks like it will end in a goal. Strange as it is to say, in passages of play like this they do indeed rival Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team.
Mane got in on the goal scoring act in some style, acrobatically volleying past Alexander Selikhov from around 10 yards out
Mane celebrates his goal as Spartak proved completely unable to deal with Liverpool’s attack; they go into the Europa League
Coutinho’s third took a huge deflection off Salvatore Bocchetti and wrong footed the completely overworked Selikhov
Coutinho celebrates his third goal – it was Liverpool’s 21st in the group stage, a record number for a Premier League club
The second goal arrived in the 15th minute, moments after Spartak’s Quincy Promse had brought a low save from Loris Karius at the other end.
This was a beautiful goal, too, a result of pure passing, movement, vision and understanding. Dejan Lovren actually started the move in his own half and when Sadio Mane and Salah funneled the ball to Roberto Firmino on the right overlap, the Brazilian chose his moment perfectly to pull it back across goal for Coutinho to finish with an equally calm side foot.
It was the kind of goal that couldn’t have looked any prettier had it been painted in water colour. It was everything that Klopp strives for as a manager and when it was followed by a third goal four minutes later one wondered just how many Liverpool may score.
Once more there was a Spartak mistake involved, Denis Glushakov giving the ball away in centre field. Once again Liverpool brutalised their opponents by way of punishment as Mane’s cross rebounded off Serdar Tasci in the penalty area for Firmino to finish beautifully on the half volley with the outside of his right foot.
With a derby against Everton looming on Sunday, Liverpool already had reason to slacken off but they did that in Seville two weeks ago and a 3-0 lead eventually became a 3-3 draw.
So here they continued to push forwards and Mane should have scored the fourth in the 36th minute only to blaze over when played clean through by Salah’s lovely back heel.
Such was Liverpool’s dominance and good fortune, Mane was able to score even from the ground with the ball behind him
Liverpool threw down a major warning to rivals Everton ahead of their Premier League derby clash at the weekend
Salah had all the time he needed to control and finish into roof of the net as Liverpool won 7-0 for the second time in the group
Liverpool, having beaten the English record for group stage goals, then took the overall record set by PSG this season
Two minutes into the second half, Mane did score and what a goal it was. With Alberto Moreno off with an injury, substitute James Milner was played down the left by Coutinho and when the Brazilian’s cross reached Mane as the far post he crashed it high in to the net with a scissor kick of immaculate timing and immense power.
That brought up 20 goals for Liverpool in the group stages. That was some coming from five and a half games and three minutes later they had another as Milner allowed Coutinho to dance in to the penalty area and the low shot struck Salvatore Bocchetti and span past goalkeeper Selikhov for the Liverpool number ten’s hat-trick.
As the night went on, Spartak continued to help out when they could and the Russians were hustled out of possession again with 15 minutes left and when Emre Can fed Daniel Sturridge down the right the substitute unselfishly chose to cross and Mane dragged in his second goal with his right foot from six yards.
Still Liverpool were not finished. They had already scored seven once in the competition at Maribor and here they equalled that when Salah left his man on his back with another superb turn in the box before placing a right foot shot high in to the goal as though he were taking part in a passing drill at Melwood. If new Everton manager Sam Allardyce hasn’t got a plan in place already, he had better find one.
Liverpool suffered a blow before half time when Alberto Moreno went off injured to be replaced by James Milner at left back
Moreno was comforted by his team mates as he hobbled off – the Spaniard is now a doubt for the weekend Merseyside Derby
Another blot for Liverpool came when Emre Can got an early booking, meaning he misses the first leg of their last 16 match
Milner hurdles a challenge – he took the captain’s armband from Coutinho at half time after coming off the bench
Despite Liverpool’s superb display, manager Jurgen Klopp was his usual demanding and vocal presence on the touchline
A Liverpool fan looks suitably festive while still wearing her club’s colours as she sings ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ pre-match