Liverpool 2-0 RB Leipzig: Five talking points
Liverpool can look forward to a Champions League quarter-final next month after sealing a 4-0 aggregate win against RB Leipzig.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane provided the goals for Jürgen Klopp’s men at Puskas Arena on Wednesday night to repeat the 2-0 scoreline of the first leg and send the Reds into the last eight.
Extended highlights: LFC 2-0 RB Leipzig
It will be their third appearance at that stage of the competition in four seasons.
Here are five talking points from a pleasing performance for Liverpool...
Déjà vu
Salah and Mane. Salah and Mane.
The same venue produced the same outcome as, just as they had 22 days previously, the same goalscorers struck in a decisive second-half spell to give Liverpool a 2-0 win in Budapest.
Salah got the breakthrough on 70 minutes as he collected Diogo Jota’s nudged pass into the right channel, stepped inside Dayot Upamecano and placed a low finish back into the bottom corner.
That strike brought up the milestone of 25 goals in all competitions this term for the Egyptian – who has now reached that tally three times in a single campaign since joining the Reds.
Mane then put the last-16 tie beyond all doubt as he artfully prodded home a cross flashed into the area by Divock Origi, sent on as a substitute just three minutes earlier, from close range.
It was Mane’s 12th goal in the Champions League knockout stages since his first involvement in 2017-18; only Cristiano Ronaldo (13) can claim more during the same period.
Phillips soars on CL debut
Nathaniel Phillips has gained plenty of Premier League experience this season but the clash with Leipzig represented his bow at Champions League level.
You couldn’t possibly have guessed so from his performance.
The 23-year-old was a magnet for the majority of attacking approaches from Die Roten Bullen, standing tall and strong to shut them out with a series of headers, clearances and tackles.
It was little surprise that Klopp made a beeline for his No.47 to deliver an appreciative hug following the final whistle, nor that fans nominated him Man of the Match.
“I couldn’t be happier for somebody than I am for Nat in this moment,” said the boss. “Because it was a great game and not a lot of people get the honour to play a Champions League game.
“He has that now, he played a really good one, he won it and he’s qualified for the last eight in Europe – that’s really special.”
With Ozan Kabak back in central defence after an injury to partner Phillips, the Reds registered a sixth clean sheet in eight Champions League fixtures this season.
Fabinho returns to midfield
Having had to fill in at centre-back for much of the season, Fabinho started a Liverpool match in central midfield for the first time since October.
And the No.3 enjoyed a seamless, influential switch back into the middle of the park to help his side overcome a team that reached the semi-finals in 2019-20 and currently sit second in the Bundesliga.
Team-high tallies for interceptions (four) and possession gains (12) reflected the Brazilian’s knack for stopping opponents in their tracks and prompting Reds attacks.
Watch: The best of Fabinho v Leipzig
“I missed it a little bit playing the midfield position,” Fabinho told Liverpoolfc.com post-match.
“In general our quality was very good tonight, the communication from our two centre-halves, the pressing from the offensive players was working very good. Everyone was good, everyone enjoyed it, everyone pressed and we did the hard work.”
Klopp’s century
Mane’s goal was the 100th scored by Liverpool in the Champions League under Klopp.
The German’s charges have achieved that milestone by netting at a rate of more than two per match in the competition over the past four campaigns, with Wednesday’s encounter the 44th of his tenure.
Klopp has now guided the Reds to victory in 12 out of 13 two-legged European ties, including seven Champions League knockout contests.
Omen watchers may note Liverpool have eliminated German opposition in the Round of 16 on each of the past two occasions they have gone on to lift the trophy.
Who’s next?
There’ll now be a short wait before the Reds discover their next opponents in the tournament.
The draws for the quarter-finals and semi-finals are set to be held in Nyon from 11am GMT on Friday March 19.
Three potential opponents are already confirmed – Borussia Dortmund, FC Porto and Paris Saint-Germain also progressed this week – with the remaining four qualifiers to be settled next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Both draws will be open: teams are not seeded and clubs from the same country can be paired together.
The dates for your diary are April 6/7 and April 13/14 for the first and second legs respectively.