Manchester City crest
Manchester City

Gabriel Jesus (2)

FT
1 - 2
UEFA Champions League
20:45 Tue 10th Apr 2018
Location: Etihad Stadium
Liverpool FC crest
Liverpool FC

Salah (56)
Firmino (77)

20:45 Tue 10th Apr 2018
20:45 Tue 10th Apr 2018 Etihad Stadium

Manchester City v Liverpool: Live match blog

Liverpool are into the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Manchester City 2-1 at Etihad Stadium,, meaning they progress 5-1 on aggregate.

The Reds had to withstand heavy pressure in the first half and the hosts took a second-minute lead through Gabriel Jesis.

However, second-half strikes from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino sent Jürgen Klopp's men into the last four with a victory.

Allez, allez, allez...

Enjoy, savour, relish the sensational full-time celebration scenes in our video below...

'It's a cool moment!'

Jürgen Klopp offered his reaction to Liverpool's 2-1 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad on Tuesday night in his post-match press conference - a result that moved the Reds into the Champions League semi-finals 5-1 on aggregate.

Click here to read the thoughts of the boss.

Full Time

LIVERPOOL ARE INTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS!

The Reds record a 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad to move into the last four 5-1 on aggregate.

GET IN!

90

Two minutes of added time to be played.

Liverpool are on course for the Champions League semi-finals.

89

Substitution

Our last change - Danny Ings is on for Mohamed Salah.

That's 39 goals for the season for him now.

Ridiculous.

81

Substitution

A double change for Liverpool - Ragnar Klavan and Nathaniel Clyne on for Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

77

Goal

GOAL! ROBERTO FIRMINO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liverpool go 2-1 in front of the night and 5-1 up on aggregate as Firmino charges down an attempt to clear by Otamendi and motors into the box before steering low across Ederson and into the corner.

City need to score five times in the final 10 minutes if they're to go through now.

76

Aguero heads wide from Sane's cross to the back post under pressure from Alexander-Arnold.

74

Substitution

City's second change - Gundogan on for Bernardo Silva.

70

Laporte takes aim from range... it hits Lovren's head and skims the roof of the netting.

66

Substitution

Aguero is on for David Silva.

65

Yellow Card

Van Dijk booked following a challenge on Sterling.

56

Goal

GOAL! MOHAMED SALAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liverpool have the away goal they so desperately craved - and indeed needed - as Salah conjures up goal No.39 of the season.

The Reds put together a sweeping move that sees Salah slip the ball into Mane. He surges into the area and goes down, but play continues as it spins away from Ederson and our No.11 displays magnificent composure to dink a finish over Otamendi's lunge and into the net.

The visitors' section erupts. It's now 4-1 on aggregate and City need to score four more times if they're to progress.

47

It looks as though City boss Pep Guardiola has been sent to the stands during the interval.

45

Kick-Off

Back under way...

James Milner re-starts the game. Come on you Reds!

The story of the first half in numbers...

45

Half Time

City lead at the break

Manchester City hold a 1-0 lead at the half-way point thanks to Gabriel Jesus's goal after two minutes.

The hosts have dominated the first period and struck the post through Bernardo Silva, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spurned a chance to get an away goal for the Reds when he struck wide from an angle after rounding Ederson.

It's 1-0 on the night to City so far, but 3-1 to the visitors on aggregate.

45

Chance!

Oxlade-Chamberlain should score as Liverpool work an opening, allowing him to round Ederson but from a tight angel he whacks over the bar with the 'keeper grounded.

43

Disallowed Goal

Sane has the ball in the net after a scrambel but he's flagged offside and it doesn't stand.

42

Bernardo Silva cracks the post with a curler from the edge of the box. Let off for Liverpool as they scramble clear.

41

Liverpool register their first shot as Oxlade-Chamberlain curls into the arms of Ederson from the edge of the box.

39

Bernardo Silva has an effort deflected just wide of the far post after a touch from Robertson.

37

Fernandinho chests down Robertson's attempted clearance and strikes wide.

35

Yellow Card

Firmino now booked for bringing down De Bruyne as he breaks forward on the counter after a Liverpool corner.

30

Yellow Card

Bernardo Silva has an effort blocked and then goes into the book... we think for controlling the loose ball with his hand.

29

Yellow Card

Alexander-Arnold goes into the book for a block on Sane.

27

De Bruyne's low side-footer towards the bottom corner is claimed by Karius.

26

Vital header from Lovren to clear in front of Fernandinho at a corner.

24

Liverpool try to counter from another City attack, but Alexander-Arnold's long pass bounces through to Ederson just before Mane can reach it.

20

Heavy pressure from City and Robertson needs to clear to stop Bernardo Silva heading in before Sane's cross almost finds the top corner, but Karius punches to safety.

17

David Silva pulls a free-kick back to the edge of the area, where Sane's side-footer is blocked by Oxlade-Chamberlain and goes behind for a corner.

14

Yellow Card

A yellow card each for Sadio Mane and City 'keeper Ederson after the Reds forward catches Otamendi with a late challenge.

8

De Bruyne archs an effort over Karius' bar from 20 yards.

2

Goal

Gabriel Jesus

Exactly the start City dreamt of and Liverpool feared as the home side open the scoring inside two minutes.

Van Dijk feels he is fouled by Sterling on the left, but play is allowed to continue and the ex-Red picks up a pass from De Bruyne and speeds into the area before squaring for Jesus to tap in.

3-1 on aggregate now.

1

City whip a free-kick into the Liverpool area, but it's cleared by Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The hosts are playing with a three-man defence, as suspected.

Kick-Off

And we're under way...

Manchester City's David Silva kicks the game off - come on you Reds!

Pre-match

The teams are out,,,

Pre-match

A reminder of the line-ups...

Pre-match

More from the warm-up...

Pre-match

Out to warm up...

Pre-match

Talking tactics

As we await kick-off there is plenty of discussion about exactly how City are going to line up in terms of formation. We're going to wait and see on that one.

From a Liverpool perspective, we know Gini Wijnaldum is going to be used in the holding midfield role after impressing in the position during Saturday's Merseyside derby.

"Gini is a brilliant player for an attacking midfielder," said Klopp. "He is creative, he is good with the ball, he can fix the ball and he has good vision and everything. He is physically strong, so that's good."

Pre-match

'I have confidence they will get through'

Speaking pre-match on BT Sport, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has backed the Reds to reach the semis...

"I'm confident in terms of Liverpool progressing, but there's certainly a nervousness there - not just from myself, but from everyone I've spoken to building into this game and it's because of City's quality in the final third. They can open any team up and I think they'll be relentless tonight," said the former skipper.

"I think the hope and the confidence comes from Liverpool going the other way. City have players that you can hurt and players who take risks, and Liverpool are deadly when they get in. So I think it'll be tough for Liverpool, there's a lot of hard work to do, but I have confidence they will get through."

Pre-match

A milestone for Millie

Quite the night for James Milner.

The Liverpool No.7 captains the side against his former club on the 650th appearance of his career.

Pre-match

The Reds arrive at the Etihad...

Pre-match

TEAM NEWS – SALAH STARTS

Mohamed Salah is back in the starting XI as the Reds make five changes for the clash at Etihad Stadium.

Alexander-Arnold, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Robertson also return in the decisive second leg.

Liverpool team: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Wijnaldum, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Substitutes: Mignolet, Klavan, Moreno, Clyne, Woodburn, Ings, Solanke.

Pre-match

Ready to go...

Pre-match

Not long to go now...

Pre-match

What are the odds?

Here is how BetVictor price it up...

Manchester City - 9/20
Draw - 17/4
Liverpool - 11/2

Click here for more details.

Pre-match

Relive the raw emotion of the first leg from a different angle with our free pitchside highlights package below...

Pre-match

This guy turns 26 today! 

Let's hope Sadio gets the perfect birthday present tonight!

Pre-match

It was all smiles during training at Melwood last night...

Pre-match

Let's face it, not many Reds will need reminding of the best bits of last Wednesday's 3-0 win in the first leg - but why not refresh your memory anyway with our highlights clip below?

Pre-match

Goal of the Month

Away from the build-up for a moment, you can find out which strike you voted as last month's best with our free clip below.

A welcome distraction just over four hours away from kick-off!

Pre-match

'We will start over'

Georginio Wijnaldum has declared that Liverpool's 3-0 lead has given them plenty of confidence heading to the Etihad Stadium, but insists he and his teammates are taking nothing for granted.

“To create a score like that gives an extra boost and a lot of confidence. But we have to know it’s not over. Anything can happen in the second game," he told Premier League Productions.

“I think we did well in the game. The way we played against them was not something that suits them and they had a lot of problems with it. But the second game can be different. So we will start over.”

Pre-match

Weather

A look to the skies

It's been raining all day here in Liverpool but, according to the experts, it won't be doing so at the Etihad Stadium tonight.

As per a cursory Google search from yours truly, chances of precipitation this evening in Manchester peak at around eight per cent, while temperatures will settle at 11 degrees celsius.

Not bad at all!

Pre-match

'This is extraordinary!' 

Warm up for tonight's game by reliving last week's thrilling win over Manchester City with our 'Match In A Minute' clip below.

Pre-match

No sleep 'til Kiev

Like most Liverpool fans, Virgil van Dijk was pumped full of adrenalin after last week's 3-0 win over Manchester City.

As he explained to Liverpoolfc.com: “It was difficult to fall asleep.

“I knew before I joined, and know now, how much quality this squad has and how good we can be if everyone is at 100 per cent. The game at home was an amazing example – everyone was 100 per cent focused and at it. Everyone showed their quality.

“And you see what can happen. It was a total performance; in the first half we dominated possession and had our good moments and scored good goals; in the second half we defended as a unit and it was a fantastic game.”

Pre-match

View from the opposition

Pep Guardiola also hosted a press conference yesterday and acknowledged that Manchester City need a 'perfect' performance to progress.

“Of course, to go through you have to make almost the perfect game - create chances, be clinical and concede few chances,” he said. “All the conditions have to be perfect to go through.

“But you have 90 minutes and in football everything can happen. We are going to try and we will see.”

Pre-match

Stats off

A selection of fascinating figures from club statistician Ged Rea for your perusal - some of these might even make you feel less sick.

  • Liverpool have played 23 European quarter-final ties away from home - winning five, drawing 12 and losing six.

  • In those 23 games only two sides have scored more than twice against the Reds: Bayer Leverkusen in 2001-02 (4-2) and Chelsea in 2008-09 (4-4), both in the Champions League.

  • After playing the first leg at home Liverpool have won all-English ties against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and gone on to reach the respective final on both occasions - in the 1973 UEFA Cup and the 2016 Europa League.

  • The Reds are unbeaten in their last 13 games in Europe (won seven, drawn six) and have kept six clean sheets in their last seven Champions League games.

 

Pre-match

Press call

Jürgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk made the journey over to Manchester yesterday for a press conference to preview the big game.

You can see what the pair had to say by watching the free YouTube clip embedded below.

Pre-match

'It's not the time to celebrate'

Loris Karius isn't popping any champagne corks yet, despite Liverpool holding a handsome aggregate lead going into this evening's second leg.

The German told Liverpoolfc.com earlier this week: "Obviously [the first leg was] a great game from us. You never know what to expect, we were just trying to play our best game. 

"That's what we did and got a really good result. The fans were great, pushing us on the whole time. 

"But it's not the time to celebrate yet because, like you could see [at Anfield], it could go in one direction really quickly, so we need to be switched on in the second game to avoid that and go through."

Pre-match

Team news

To kick things off, let's take a quick look at who may or may not feature for both teams tonight.

Liverpool absentees

  • Emre Can (back)
  • Jordan Henderson (suspension)
  • Joe Gomez (ankle)
  • Adam Lallana (muscle)
  • Joel Matip (thigh)

Mohamed Salah (groin), Andy Robertson (calf), Alberto Moreno (thigh) and Ben Woodburn are all fit to return.

Manchester City absentees

  • Benjamin Mendy (knee)

Sergio Aguero (knee) and John Stones (concussion) should be ready to feature.

Pre-match

Round two

Liverpool take on Manchester City at Etihad Stadium this evening in the second leg of the sides' Champions League quarter-final tie.

As you'll no doubt know, the Reds hold a 3-0 aggregate lead after a stunning first-leg showing at Anfield - but there's still plenty of work to do.

Stick with our live matchday blog for the best build-up to tonight's fixture and all the action and reaction from the stadium. 

Here we go...