Sitting 4th on the UCL table after matchday 7 with 15 points, Liverpool had a 100% chance of qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Champions League competition yet, they are still expected to finish off the league phase with a resounding victory over the much weaker side from Azerbajan, Qarabag.
From a narrow 3-2 defeat against The Reds at Vitality stadium which ended their 13- game unbeaten run, they were expected to start a new campaign with a pleasing win against their underdog, which Arne Slot, The Red’s boss, made sure of. Coming into the game with a 4-3-3 attacking formation, they set off their attacking prowess immediately after kick-off. Just a few minutes into the game, Slot’s fellow Dutchman, Jeremie Frimpong, was taken off the pitch following an injury whilst administering his defensive duties and was quickly replaced with the 32-year old defensive midfielder Wataro Endo on the 4 ’ minute.
The game progressed with The Horsemen, maintaining a solid defensive work, preventing The Reds from netting an early goal. Mateusz Kochalski couldn’t keep the dead lock for long as Alexis McAllister broke it with a close-range header on the 15 minute which was later confirmed by goal-line technology.
Six minutes after the first goal, Hugo Ekitike , a centre forward for The Reds set up a brilliant assist for Florian Writzs, the German attacking midfielder who dispatched the ball into the bottom corner beautifully. Just before half time, Andy Robertson narrowly missed a mid-range shot, which surfed over the bar. It was very sad to see such an effort go to waste! Entering the second 45 minutes with a two goal cushion, The Reds set off attacking again.
Both Cody Gapko and Dominik Szobozslai fired a number of shots at The Horsemen’s goalkeeper but he was unperturbed, maintaining his lines. It didn’t take long before Mohammed Salah teamed up with Szobozslai again, hitting a magnificent free kick into the to corner right at the edge of the box. It was just an exciting set piece to watch. The next two goals for The Reds came quickly and unannounced and the only thing The Horsemen could do was to watch the ball hit the back of their net a couple more times.
First, Ekitike through a solo effort, maneuvered his way past two consecutive tackles by The Horsemen and shot a clinical strike into the bottom corner to extend their lead to 4. Alexis MacAllister bagged his brace with a strike just in the six yard box, his third of the competition.
With this, surely, the game was wrapped up. Arne Slot knowing this, took off his key players, replacing Cody Gakpo with the Italian winger Federico Chiesa. As if the goal galore was not enough, Virgil van Dijk, The Reds skipper laid a pass for the Italian late substitute who slot home the last goal of the night on the 90th minute, sealing