Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane scored as Liverpool stunned Manchester City 3-0 at Anfield in Wednesday’s first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Salah fired Liverpool ahead on 12 minutes with Oxlade-Chamberlain hammering in a terrific long-range strike before Mane headed in a third as Jurgen Klopp beat City counterpart Pep Guardiola for the sixth time in 10 meetings.
The return fixture takes place in Manchester on April 10.
Klopp saluted Liverpool’s “brilliant” 3-0 thrashing of Manchester City, but the Reds boss admitted his side should have killed off the tie.
Liverpool tore City apart with three goals in the opening 31 minutes of the all-English first leg clash at Anfield. But, while some will believe that goal spree is enough for Liverpool to start looking forward to the semi-finals, Klopp insisted his players had missed an opportunity to seal the victory ahead of next week’s second leg at Eastlands.
“The first half was brilliant. It was how football should look. We knew about the quality of City but also about our quality as well,” Klopp said.
“The result is not what we expected but we needed to play more football in the second half.
“They did not have a lot of chances but we didn’t play much football ourselves.”
Well aware that City demolished Liverpool 5-0 in the Premier League in Manchester in September, Klopp added: “It is only half-time. 3-0 up, good. We defended their passes really good.
“I wanted us to play more football. I am not angry, it is all good.”
The only clouds on a golden evening for Klopp were a muscle injury to Egypt star Salah and a booking for Jordan Henderson that rules the Liverpool captain out of the second leg.
“We lose one player to injury and another - the captain - to a yellow card so it does not feel good. Mo said he feels good but we will have to see about that,” Klopp said.
It was the first time City had failed to register a shot on target since October 2016.
City boss Pep Guardiola conceded his team could have no complaints after a rare limp display.
“We started with enormous personality but they scored a goal. It is tough. They had 10-15 minutes in the first half when they were better,” he said.
“In the second half we tried everything but we couldn’t find a goal. The first two goals, we had control of the game but they scored.
“I don’t have too many regrets or complaints.
“They had two attacks and scored two goals. That was tough but for the rest of the game we were so, so good. We had to score a goal but they defended more.”
Guardiola was adamant his players still believe they can pull off an incredible comeback in the return leg.
First, City must focus on Saturday’s derby against Manchester United, when a win will give them the English title.
“Nobody believes but we have another game,” Guardiola said.
“We have to accept it and now we have United at home and then Liverpool at home.
“We see what happens. Of course it is difficult but we believe.”
Salah out-shines De Bruyne
Billed as a showdown between Player of the Year contenders Salah and Kevin De Bruyne, there was no doubt who underlined their credentials for the award as the Liverpool winger ran riot. The irrepressible Salah started Liverpool’s goal spree in the 12th minute when, benefitting from a contentious decision not to flag him offside, he burst clear and set up Roberto Firmino. After City failed to clear, Salah fired home from close-range for his 38th club goal of the season.
Salah was a constant menace with his pace and poise. He set up the third goal with an exquisite cross to Sadio Mane, who dissected the City defence to head past Ederson. In contrast, De Bruyne was unable to cope with Liverpool’s relentless pressing. The Belgian has been the driving force behind City’s majestic league form, but he was rendered impotent as Jurgen Klopp’s men surrounded him each time he took possession in a dangerous area. The sight of Salah coming off with an injury in the second half was a welcome moment for City and Klopp will be keeping his fingers crossed he is fit for the second leg.
Deja vu for City
City failed to learn the lessons from their 4-3 defeat at Anfield in January as they naively allowed themselves to be exposed at the back again. City boss Pep Guardiola had insisted he wouldn’t set out to defend in the first leg and some will applaud him for sticking to the formula that has carried his team to the brink of the Premier League title.
But Liverpool’s ability to break at pace and with deadly efficiency makes them uniquely placed to exploit City’s soft centre and Guardiola should have taken measures to guard against that. The Reds are only side to beat City in league this term, but even they must have been amazed at how easily they scored three in the first 31 minutes.
Weak in the tackle in midfield and slow to react at the back, the defining moment came when James Milner’s no-nonsense challenge set up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 20th minute rocket. Oxlade-Chamberlain also scored against City in January. On that occasion, Mane and Salah were among the scorers, and it was the same script as they both netted again to leave City in tatters.
Passion play
City have reigned supreme in the Premier League this season, but Guardiola’s team looked shell-shocked by the hostile reception they received on one of Anfield’s more memorable European nights. Liverpool have won the European Cup on five occasions, most recently in 2005, but only on a select few occasions during those glorious campaigns were the Kop’s decibel levels as high as they were when the hosts tore into City in the first half.
The frenzied atmosphere was the more acceptable face of the disturbing pre-match scenes that saw Liverpool forced to apologise after City’s team bus was badly damaged by bottle-throwing fans on the way to the stadium. Rattled by their vicious greeting, passive City produced a rare limp performance and didn’t manage a single shot on target. This is only City’s second Champions League quarter-final and they weren’t ready to match Liverpool’s intensity. Finding a way to emulate the passion on and off the field will hold the key to City’s hopes of a miraculous second leg comeback.
