Thursday 19 October 2017

Liverpool Record-Thrash Maribor 0-7

Sports - Football - Champions League - NKM 0:7 LFC

Liverpool record the biggest away win by an English team in the history of the European Cup after thrashing Slovenian side NK Maribor 0-7, the win taking them to the top of Group E after Sevilla lost 5-1 at Spartak Moscow on the same Tuesday night.



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This was the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides and finally the Reds made the flood of chances and stats count after their frustrating goalless draw against Manchester United on Saturday!

It didn't even take four minutes for Jürgen Klopp's men to find the breakthrough, man of the match Roberto Firmino tapping in from close range after a great breakthrough and pass by Mohamed Salah from the right.

Just under ten minutes later, Philippe Coutinho doubled the lead putting a lovely right-footed shot into the back of the net after a great counter, the home side unable to keep the ball.

Salah made it three sending a perfect left-footer past keeper Samir Handanovic's right seconds after being denied a penalty seeing the ball bounce off a Maribor defender's arm.

The great Egyptian was dancing through the opposition and was great to watch.

Firmino and Salah worked well together to make it four before the break, both thinking they scored, but it was the latter beating his team mate to have the final touch on Alberto Moreno's cross from the left to net the ball.

The referee whistled HT five seconds early, that said it all regarding the game. After the break, the Red dominance continued over the Violets, no matter what keeper Handanovic tried and kept.

Ten minutes after the break, Firmino headed in another LFC free kick seconds after Handanovic had made a great save jumping to his top-right corner to deny Coutinho.

Around an hour gone, both sides started to make their changes, and in the final minutes two of Liverpool's substitutes combined to make it six.

Daniel Sturridge picked out Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after the Reds bullied their way all over NKM and the former Arsenal man made no mistake of converting the chance to score his first goal for the Merseyside club.

And that wasn't it. Red youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold added his name to the long score list unable to miss the chance, totally unmarked, right-foot shot, 0-7, thank you very much.

The French commentator called it a massacre, Klopp "nice to write a piece of history", I feel it is just what the Red doctor ordered after all the chances and points missed and dropped over the last month-and-a-bit!

After only one win in the previous eight games, two defeats, five draws, scoring eight and conceding 14 in all competitions, the second consecutive clean sheet will be very much appreciated by and for the much criticised defence too.

And seeing Sevilla thrashed 5-1 at Spartak Moscow makes the Reds' draw in Russia look less disappointing and more credible.

Hopefully Liverpool can take this confidence boost to Wembley where they face Tottenham on Sunday in the Premier League.

Click here for my full ByTheMin live match coverage.

Liverpool Goals: Firmino 4' & 45', Coutinho 13', Salah 19' & 39', Oxlade-Chamberlain 86' & Alexander-Arnold 90'.

NK Maribor Team: 33 Handanovic, 28 Viler, 4 Suler, 26 Rajcevic, 22 Milec (booked 45'), 5 Vrohec (booked 80'), 8 Kabha, 39 Bohar (27 Mesanovic 81'), 7 Ahmedi (6 Pihler 58'), 97 Kramaric (10 Hotic 58', booked 89'), 9 Tavares.
Subs not used: 3 Billong, 12 Vrsic, 29 Palcic, 69 Obradovic.

Liverpool Team: 1 Karius, 66 Alexander-Arnold, 32 Matip, 6 Lovren, 18 Moreno, 5 Wijnaldum (29 Solanke 76'), 23 Can, 7 Milner, 11 Salah (21 Oxlade-Chamberlain 57'), 9 Firmino (15 Sturridge 68'), 10 Coutinho.
Subs not used: 12 Gomez, 14 Henderson, 17 Klavan, 22 Mignolet.

HT stats: NKM 0-4 LFC
Possession: 35%-65%
Shots: 5-14
On target: 2-9
Corners: 0-3
Fouls: 3-6
Yellow cards: 1-0
Red cards: 0-0

FT stats: NKM 0-7 LFC
Possession: 30%-70%
Shots: 5-26
On target: 2-14
Corners: 0-9
Fouls: 10-11
Yellow cards: 3-0
Red cards: 0-0

Referee: Viktor Kassai
Man of the match: Roberto Firmino
Ground: Ljudski Stadium
Attendance: 12,506

Click here for my last LFC match report.

All pictures, quotes, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report and beIN sports live match coverage.

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