Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as Diaz hat-trick gives Reds easy win
Liverpool 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen: The Reds are top of the Champions League after a rout at Anfield
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool moved to the top of the Champions League table and kept their European winning streak going with a fine outing against Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.
Xabi Alonso’s German champions were solid and secure in a tentative first half that lacked quality in front of goal. Luis Diaz found the goalkeeper’s gloves and Jeremie Frimpong had a goal ruled out for offside as the teams traded blows.
The second half was all Liverpool. Three goals, two for Diaz and one for Cody Gakpo ensured they left the field with three points and another notch to Arne Slot’s reputation. Diaz’s first was made by Curtis Jones who slipped a fine pass into the box before Diaz chipped the goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Mo Salah then set up the second with a cross to Gakpo who headed home a few minutes later. That broke Leverkusen’s resistance and the Reds added a late third as Salah found Diaz for his second of the night.
Diaz wasn’t done though. With three minutes of added time, Liverpool countered and Darwin Nunez set Diaz up to complete his hat-trick.
Relive the Champions League action with our live blog below:
Liverpool vs German opponents
Liverpool have yet to lose to a German side at Anfield in Europe. That record includes 20 games, 16 wins and four draws, with 14 clean sheets.
Liverpool vs Leverkusen
Liverpool have won three of the four previous meetings between the teams in European competition, including both Anfield encounters.
Leverkusen line-up
Bayer Leverkusen XI: Hradecky; Frimpong, Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie, Grimaldo; Palacios, Xhaka; Wirtz, Boniface, Garcia
Liverpool line-up
Liverpool XI: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Jones, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Slot on Salah and Van Dijk’s contracts
Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract at the end of the season and are currently negotiating renewals. Arne Slot was asked whether the players were thinking about leaving and if he had spoken to them about their future.
He replied: “I haven’t spoken about him [Salah], we’ve spoken about Leverkusen because that team deserves all of our attention for the quality they have. So, no.
“He is out of contract in the end of the season and Virgil [van Dijk] said something in the press and now he [Salah] has a post that you interpreted in a certain way.
“This will probably continue for as long as their futures are not clear yet. But in the meantime, let’s hope that they bring in performances like Mo had and Virgil had as well during the weekend.”
Kelleher on Alonso
Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher said: "I think the fans will give him a great reception, but the focus is on getting a result and making sure he doesn’t go home happy."
Arne Slot vs Xabi Alonso is a lesson for the new wave of superstar coaches
Around the turn of the year, when five of the major European clubs were looking for new managerial candidates, one official involved in elite-level recruitment let out a sigh. “There is nothing in football as difficult as choosing a coach,” came the complaint.
The frustration was from the fact that there are so many variables, especially when a manager moves from one financial tier to another. They might have the right style but not the right personality. They might fit the tactics but not the culture.
Although clubs are trying to add some science to this, feeding details through algorithms, there’s still a huge element of human trial and error. You can’t always account for how a manager’s approach translates to a different dressing room.
Arne Slot vs Xabi Alonso is a lesson for the new wave of superstar coaches
When Xabi Alonso takes his Leverkusen team to Anfield to face Arne Slot’s Liverpool, it will signal the arrival of a new generation of coaches, writes Miguel Delaney
Leverkusen are a dangerous team
Xabi Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to one of the all-time great seasons in 2023/24 with the German club only losing one game in all competitions.
They won their first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance of the league, as part of the German double which saw them collect the German Cup as well.
That lone defeat came against Atalanta in the Europa League final which denied Alonso and his team a well deserved treble.
Though they have not hit those same heights this season they are unbeaten in 11 games and will be confident of earning three points against a Liverpool side still in the early stages of Arne Slot’s tenure.
Kelleher on ‘special moment’ playing at Anfield
Caoimhin Kelleher is excited for his ‘special moment’ when he steps out onto the pitch to take part in a big European night at Anfield.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper said: “I’ve experienced quite a few European nights at Anfield, not playing, but it’s always electric.
“It will be a special moment and one I’m looking forward to, for sure. The Champions League is the Champions League: it’s one of the biggest competitions.
“We have a good history in the competition, so the motivation is there.”
Kelleher ‘quite likes’ new format
Caoimhin Kelleher took the pre-match press conference alongside Arne Slot and admitted to liking the new Champions League format especially as it means playing against more teams from the continent.
He said: “It’s a bit different. I personally quite like it, playing different teams on each occasion is kind of cool. You’re going away to different stadiums too, which is nice. It’s cool to play more teams.”
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