Watch the highlights of goals and key plays as Liverpool routs Man City in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal matchup.
Avi Creditor | Apr 4, 2018
Last time Liverpool and Manchester City met, the Reds raced out to a big lead, only to watch Man City claw back and nearly pull even. This time, Liverpool finished the job in totality.
Liverpool scored three times in the opening 31 minutes and put the clamps on Man City after that, taking a massive advantage in their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane delivered the goals, though there is cause for concern with Salah, as he limped off in the 52nd minute.
Leroy Sane delivered Man City's first threat, weaving through defenders on the left channel before having a shot from a tight angle deflected out for a corner in the sixth minute.
Salah was the one to provide the breakthrough, doing so in the 12th minute off a lethal counterattack. An errant pass sent Liverpool streaking down the field, with Roberto Firmino having an initial shot saved by Ederson. Kyle Walker failed to clear the rebound, though, allowing Firmino to slide a short pass to Salah, who finished with ease for his 38th goal in all competitions in this breakout season.
City nearly answered immediately on a counter of its own, with Sane opting to fire at goal–and fire wide–instead of playing Kevin De Bruyne on an overlap.
Instead, Liverpool doubled its lead in the 21st minute. Man City appeared to anticipate a stoppage in play, but no whistle came and the ball was played to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who delivered a thunderbolt from outside the box to beat Ederson and make it 2-0.
It got even better for Liverpool in the 31st minute. Salah served in a perfect ball for Mane in the center of the box, and the Senegal forward powered a header by Ederson to make it 3-0, continuing the stunning, one-sided start.
Liverpool navigated the entirety second half well, while City settled more into the match and seeking an away goal, but a sore spot emerged in the 52nd minute, when Salah was forced off with an apparent injury. It didn't appear to be too serious, and he could have been pulled as a precaution, but the site of him walking down the tunnel will surely put a damper on the match from a Liverpool perspective.
Here were the lineups for both teams:
The second leg of the series takes place at the Etihad in Manchester on Tuesday, April 10.