As it happened: Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City

Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg
Wednesday 04 April 2018 - 7:45 pm
Anfield
Liverpool3
0Man City
Show Match Events
⚽️ Salah12'
⚽️ Oxlade-Chamberlain21'
⚽️ Mane30'
45' Otamendi
Salah off, Wijnaldum on ↔️53'
57'↔️ Gündogan off, Sterling on
Firmino off, Solanke on ↔️70'
76' Jesus
80' De Bruyne
Oxlade-Chamberlain off, Moreno on ↔️85'
Henderson86'
90' Sterling
Possession %
3466
Total Shots
911
Shots on Target
5
Shots Blocked
24
Offside
34
Hide Match Events

Liverpool host Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final.

The reds have made two changes from the weekend's fixture.  With Joel Matip injured - Dejan Lovren comes in. And Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Gini Wijnaldum in midfield.

Pep Guardiola has placed Raheem Sterling on the bench for tonights game.

Liverpool fans arrived well in time for kick off to welcome the team coaches to the stadium.

As it happened...

19:11 UK
Tonight's teams from Anfield

Liverpool: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson; Milner, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Mané, Firmino, Salah

Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Masterson, Wijnaldum, Moreno, Ings, Solanke

Man City: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Kompany, Laporte; Gundogan, Fernandinho, D Silva; De Bruyne, Jesus, Sané

Subs: Bravo, Danilo, Delph, Stones, Sterling, Zinchenko, B Silva

Referee: F Brych (Germany)

19:19 UK
Lively pre-match scenes from Anfield

19:24 UK

Klopp pre match on Guardiola:

I respect Pep Guardiola a lot. I think he is the best manager in the world. We have played a few times, that's it. I think he's a fantastic football manager and a nice guy.

19:26 UK

The Guardian reports on the pre-match build up at Anfield...

19:28 UK
Elsewhere

There is another game in European football tonight.

Barcelona face Roma at the Nou Camp in the other Champions League Quarter Final.

Both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich took big steps towards the semi-finals in last night's first legs.

19:35 UK
LFC issue statement

After the rowdy scenes before the game, the Man City team bus suffered damage and LFC have just released this statement:

The club condemns in the strongest possible terms the scenes which preceded our Champions League quarter-final, which resulted in damage being inflicted on the Manchester City team bus during their arrival at Anfield.

We apologise unreservedly to Pep Guardiola, his players, staff and officials caught up in the incident.

The behaviour of a number of individuals was completely unacceptable and the club will cooperate fully with the authorities to identify those responsible.

The priority now is to establish the facts and offer Manchester City whatever support is necessary.

19:37 UK

19:42 UK
Pre match reminder

Man City have 18 points more than LFC in the league (with a game less), have scored 13 goals more and conceded 14 games fewer.  

Pep Guardiola's men are clear favourites to progress to the semi final.

19:43 UK

The teams are on the pitch.  The UEFA anthem has been played.

We're almost ready to get this started.

19:46 UK
KICK OFF

Here we go then!  Liverpool kicking towards the Kop first half.

19:48 UK

3' Jeers and whistles every time City have the ball.  Cagey start so far...

19:51 UK

5' Man City enjoying plenty of domination in this opening spell.  They've won themselves a corner here and they've started very well...

19:52 UK

... but Silva's corner can't be converted by Vincent Kompany.

19:57 UK

Henderson foul in midfield results in a quick City free kick.  They've won themselves another corner.

This time they play it short but eventually Mane gets it clear.

19:58 UK
GOAL

QUICK BREAK FROM LIVERPOOL

Salah and Firmino combine - keeper pushes it away - Firmino wins it back and SALAH smashes it in

20:00 UK

14' Quick counter attack from Man City - Liverpool back off - Sane is at the edge of the area - he shoots...

And he drills it wide.

A warning for the reds who are leading 1-0.

20:03 UK

City look a little rattled here.  Ederson, their keeper, does not look as confident as he did 15 minutes ago and now Otamendi has just played a ball about 30 yards away from the nearest City player.

20:07 UK
SMASH!!

Liverpool 2-0 Man City

What a belter.  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hits a thundering strike from outside the area.  The keeper had zero chance.

20:09 UK

23' Lofted ball from Kevin de Bruyne into the danger area.... no problem for Loris Karius.

20:12 UK

26' Liverpool are growing as this half wears on.  Enjoying the lions share of possession now and the Man City keeper does not look remotely comfortable, as does the entire City defence.

20:13 UK

20:14 UK

20:16 UK

30' The chant of Andy Robertson rings around Anfield.  The young Scot has been somewhat of a revelation since joining and he's having another good game here tonight.

Liverpool looking for a third goal.

20:17 UK
GOAL

HOLY S**T

30' Liverpool pressure builds - Salah flicks it over to the back post and SADIO MANE heads it in!

Unbelievable scenes.

20:19 UK

Mane's gone straight off to the sidelines after appearing to suffer an injury.

The reds temporarily down to ten men.

And now he's back on.

20:20 UK

Andy Robertson runs the length of the pitch - he's only tackled at the very last minute.

That was almost going to be number 4. Sensational.

20:23 UK

Nasty foul from Jesus on Andy Robertson but the City striker escapes a yellow card.

20:27 UK

41' Firmino with space outside the area - he has a crack at goal but it's drilled into the Kop.

20:30 UK

44' Free kick from De Bruyne into the danger zone but no City players near it.

They haven't had a shot on target yet.

20:34 UK
Yellow card

45+2' A frustrated Otamendi and from the free kick van Dijk goes close! 

20:34 UK
HALF TIME

Liverpool 3 Manchester City 0

Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane

Wonderful half from Liverpool, absolutely dominant.

20:49 UK

BBC have their half time headline up

20:49 UK

Teams heading out for the second half.

20:52 UK
SECOND HALF

We're underway.  Early corner for Man City - headed away.

Man City's turn to kick towards the Kop in this half.  Whistles still every time they touch the ball.

20:55 UK

50' Another City corner incoming...

20:55 UK

... Otamendi heads over.

20:57 UK

Mo Salah heads over to the touchline, he's laying down on the side of the pitch.

Reds temporarily down to 10 men.

20:57 UK

52' Chance for City - Sane drills a volley past the far post.

20:59 UK
LFC SUB

53' Mo Salah heads down the tunnel clutching his thigh.  Gini Wijnaldum is on to replace him.  

On the pitch Oxlade-Chamberlain moves out wide and Wijnaldum replaces him.

21:00 UK

54' City enjoying another dominant period of play.  Just like the opening of the first half.  A corner - Gundogan strikes it wide deflected - another corner to them...

21:01 UK

... Robertson clears but it's coming back in.  Wijnaldum launches it away.  Pressure building from City.

21:03 UK
City sub

57' Raheem Sterling comes on to chants of 'one greedy bast**d' to replace Ilkay Gundogan.

21:05 UK

59' It continues to be all City in the opening 15 minutes of this half.  Obvious concern about Salah going off but City realise the importance of trying to get an away goal here. 

21:07 UK

62' Raheem Sterling's first touch - he's in the ear.  He makes a pigs ear of it and is incorrectly flagged offside which spares his blushes a bit.

21:13 UK

68' Liverpool giving the ball away on numerous occasions here.  But there's no way through for Man City yet.  Backs against the wall for the reds, Lovren and van Dijk with crucial clearances. 

Still no clear cut chances for City though - Karius not troubled yet.

Here comes another City corner.

21:14 UK

... and Otamendi heads over.

21:16 UK
LFC Sub

70' Bobby Firmino heads off and the fresh legs of Dom Solanke are on.  Klopp may have one eye on the Merseyside Derby. 

Who would have thought he could have that luxury in a Champions League quarter final.

21:17 UK

Solanke arrival almost pays dividends. 

He latches on to the ball over the top and finds Mane in the middle but the Senegalese man can't get his shot away.

21:19 UK

75' Dejan Lovren bravely defends.  He's had a good game has the Croatian.

21:22 UK
Yellow card

76' Gabriel Jesus goes into the book.  He's had a frustrating night.

21:25 UK

79' The scarves are twirling at Anfield.  The chants of Allez ring around Anfield.  There are still ten minutes minimum to go but the reds support sense an important victory.

21:26 UK

Robertson with a wonderful tackle on Raheem Sterling in the area.

Seconds later, Kevin de Bruyne handed a yellow card for a challenge on Mane.

21:28 UK
Great challenge

Now it's Milner mopping up inside the area.  This half - despite their domination - City have not been able to do the damage Liverpool did in the first half.

21:29 UK

A rare attack from Liverpool - Milner flicks it to the back post but Mane's pull down isn't tight enough and City get possession.

At the other end, Sane flagged offside.

21:31 UK
SUB

85' Oxlade-Chamberlain heads off and on comes Alberto Moreno.

It's Liverpool's final change.

21:32 UK
Yellow card

86' Jordan Henderson collects a yellow card for a foul on Sterling.   Hmm.. that means he misses the next game.  And maybe, just maybe, that was a premeditated yellow card?

21:35 UK

90' A looping cross comes in - Karius under pressure - he jumps and catches it.

Operation Clean Sheet continues.

21:36 UK
Added time

We've got three minutes added on.

21:37 UK

YNWA ringing around Anfield....

21:38 UK

90+2' Raheem Sterling gets a yellow card for a cynical foul.

21:39 UK
FULL TIME

That's it.  

Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City

Brilliant first half attacking performance.  Brilliant second half defensive performance.

Supreme.

21:50 UK

Oxlade-Chamberlain: 'We knew we had to start fast.  The fans were unbelievable.  It got me going - it got the players going.'

Henderson: 'We knew the atmosphere would be brilliant and it was and we had to make the most of that.'

21:52 UK

Steven Gerrard:

'The perfect performance.  Milner and Henderson were excellent - showed what they were strong at.  The second half - you have to suffer at times and empty the tank - but defensively they were stunning.  The keeper is getting better and better.  Klopp's tactics were spot on.

22:05 UK

Jurgen Klopp:

'We need to play more football in the second half.  They didn't have many chances but we didn't play much football in the second half - makes no sense.  3-0 up.  Good but nothing else.

'We knew about City's quality but we know about our own quality.  Who scored the second goal? Ox? Yeah he only scores against Man City.

'It's okay for the moment.



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