Liverpool stun City to put one foot in Champions League semi-finals
Liverpool put one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after crushing Manchester City at Anfield.
The Reds will take a healthy 3-0 advantage into the return leg at the Etihad following this swashbuckling display on Merseyside.
City were greeted at the ground by a bombardment of missiles from a waiting crowd that caused damage to the team bus and forced Liverpool into an official apology.
It appeared to have an effect on Pep Guardiola's players too with the away side failing to make any impact in a first half dominated by the hosts.
Mohamed Salah, the heartbeat of this Liverpool team, broke the deadlock on a magical night under the floodlights at this famous old ground.
Kyle Walker won't want to see the replays of his horrific attempt at a clearance and the Egyptian isn't one to pass up an invitation to stick the ball in the back of the net.
If that goal came about from some bad defending Liverpool's second of the night was a piece of pure genius.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain trapped the ball with a lovely first touch before unleashing an absolute rocket that almost burst the net.
In truth, the contest was over by half time when Sadio Mane sent Jurgen Klopp's boys in three goals to the good as he got on the end of a Salah delivery.
Guardiola's decision to bench Raheem Sterling, a former Liverpool player of course, had backfired spectacularly and the manager recognised his error by throwing him on.
But Liverpool stood firm with little need to venture forward in search of more goals in the second period and goalkeeper Loris Karius could not have wished for a quieter night.
The only negative for Klopp was Salah pulling up with a suspected groin injury in the second half as the German sweats over the fitness of his star man for the second leg.
But even without their talisman, along with the suspended Jordan Henderson, Liverpool will be huge favourites to progress into the last four after this demolition job at Anfield.
