As it happened: Liverpool 4-0 Red Star Belgrade

Champions League Group Stage Game 3
Wednesday 24 October 2018 - 8:00 pm
Anfield
Liverpool4
0Red Star
Show Match Events
⚽️ Firmino19'
⚽️ Salah45'
51' Stojković
⚽️ Salah51'
55' Krstičić
65'↔️ Ebecilio off, Jovančić on
Shaqiri off, Lallana on ↔️68'
Salah off, Sturridge on ↔️73'
75'↔️ Jovičić off, Čaušić on
75' Jovičić
⚽️ Mane80'
81'↔️ Ben Nabouhane off, Simić on
Robertson off, Moreno on ↔️82'
86' Jovančić
Possession %
6535
Total Shots
214
Shots on Target
11
Shots Blocked
3
Offside
42
Hide Match Events

Liverpool return to the Champions League tonight against the Serbian Champions Red Star Belgrade.

With Napoli and PSG now playing each other in the next two games the reds must go for all three points tonight to give them a big boost towards potential qualification from the group.

After the disappointing performance and late defeat to Napoli in the last group game, the reds can go top of the group this evening with a win and anything other than a Napoli win elsewhere.

Red Star have been banned from selling tickets for tonight's game due to incidents surrounding their Champions League play off win over RB Leipzig in August.

As it happened...

18:54 UK
Confirmed LFC team

Changes from the weekend.

Mane is back - alongside Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Wijnaldum and Firmino

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Lovren, Moreno, Milner, Lallana, Sturridge, Origi.

18:57 UK
Slight issue at Anfield

There's no away fans but also the new Main Stand appears to have some power issues.

The club have said:

'We’re currently experiencing some issues with the power supply to the Main Stand at Anfield.

All other stands are open and operating as normal. Some facilities in the Main Stand will be affected. Supporters can enter the stadium as normal.'

19:00 UK

19:11 UK
Tonight's opponents

Five changes from the side that PSG beat 6-1 last time around

19:44 UK

Klopp on BT Sport ahead of the game:

'The home games in the Champions League, you shouldn't waste time.  I don't think a win away at Napoli was guaranteed. We are not under more pressure, but already enough after the Napoli game.'

Klopp then asked about the delay in Fabinho's introduction at Anfield.

'I am a big supporter in bringing a player in when he is ready, not just because you have him available.  He has adapted already for a few weeks.  The other players had more rhythm.  It's a perfect opportunity for him.'

19:57 UK

Minutes away from kick off now. 

20:00 UK
KICK OFF

We are underway at Anfield.

Come on the redmen!

20:09 UK

8' Liverpool not firing on all cylinders just yet.  A couple of sloppy passes ending attacking moves from the reds and Red Star have started well themselves.

A bit untidy so far.

20:12 UK

11' Scrappy but an opportunity for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold is in the area, Firmino gets the shot away but it bounces off Trent's thigh and out for a goal kick.

And now a ball over the top - Salah brings the ball down inside the area but the keeper is out to smother it.  Looks like he has picked up a knock there.

20:14 UK

14' Bit of a badly timed tackle by Fabinho in the middle of the park there.  Escapes with censure and no yellow card.  It wasn't malicious but it was late.

20:20 UK

19' Fabinho's found some space in the area - he slides it over to Salah who attempts a drag back before shooting but his first touch is intercepted.

20:22 UK
GOAL

19' We've got our opener.  Good through ball by Shaqiri who finds the onrushing Andy Robertson.

The Scotland captain slides the ball across the penalty area and Roberto Firmino is there to bang in.  Mane, Salah, Firmino and Sturridge all on 4 goals now for this season.

20:27 UK
CHANCE

26' That goal has given Liverpool good vibes.  First time cross from Robertson but it's about half a yard in front of the head of Mo Salah.  

20:33 UK
Big chance again

32' Mo Salah is in acres of space but fires it straight at the keeper. 

Doesn't matter - it was flagged offside anyway but last season you feel that Mo was gobbling up those type of chances.

20:35 UK

35' Shaqiri and Robertson combining yet again down the left side of that area.  That time, strangely, Robertson gets his cross wrong and it goes high and out for a goal kick.

Liverpool looking more threatening for the next goal in this game.

20:38 UK

38' Good pressure from Robertson, Liverpool have got the ball back.

It falls to Shaqiri but he's some way out - that was an ambitious shot from more than 25 yards and it's easy for the keeper to collect.

We've seen a number of driving runs from Fabinho in this game.  He looks like he is growing in confidence with every minute in the Liverpool shirt.

20:40 UK

40' Jovicic brings down one of those driving Fabinho runs.  Free kick for Liverpool. Central. Possibly just out of range for a shot...

20:41 UK

41' ... Shaqiri sends the free kick too deep into the area and the keeper collects.

20:43 UK

42' Time running out in this first half.  It's a Liverpool corner.  The big boys from the back are up in the area but Salah's corner goes straight out for a goal kick.

20:43 UK
MISSED CHANCE

43' Mane plays the ball to Robertson who is in a great position 15 yards out but Robbo gets his shot horribly wrong.

20:46 UK
GOAL! 2-0 to the reds

45' Well, it was coming.  Mo Salah bangs in a right footed shot inside the area after another assist from his new best mate Shaqiri.

That's his 5th of the season. 49 goals in 56 games.

20:47 UK

We've got two minutes of injury time at the end of this half.

20:51 UK
HALF TIME

Liverpool 2-0 Red Star Belgrade

That's a more reasonable half time scoreline. 

It was a slow opening 10 minutes for the reds, but they quickly expressed their dominance.  Shaqiri and Robertson involved in the build up to Firmino's opening goal before Salah (assisted by Shaqiri) fires in his 5th goal of the season.

Hard to see that LFC won't be getting all three points tonight.

21:04 UK
BACK TO IT

The second half is underway.  Liverpool 2-0 up and kicking towards the Kop.

21:08 UK
Chance

47' Alexander-Arnold sends in the cross - it falls to Mane.  He tries to complete a turn to get a shot off, but decides better and lays it to the edge of the area. 

Fabinho's shot however isn't on target. 

Liverpool started this half looking confident.

21:09 UK
PENALTY

Sadio Mane down inside the area and the ref signals for a penalty.  

Stoijkovic raised his arm across Sadio Mane's face.  Soft thing to do.

21:11 UK
GOAL

50th goal for Liverpool for Mo Salah. 

He smashes in the penalty left footed.

21:16 UK
Yellow cards

Couple for Red Star in the last couple of minutes. Captain Stoijkovic collected one for exhuberant appeals after the penalty decision and Krstičić has just been awarded one for a foul.

These points are in the bag now for Liverpool, and approaching the hour mark we may see some substitute appearances.

21:19 UK
Quite good this fella

21:27 UK
LFC Sub

68' Adam Lallana heads on for Xherdan Shaqiri.  Looks like Shaqiri is going to be getting the nod against Cardiff this coming weekend?

Red Star completed a substituion earlier with Ebecilio off and Jovancic on

21:31 UK
Wonderful tackle

73' It's a big pacy break from Red Star and Joe Gomez steams over to intercept.

Brilliant stuff.

21:32 UK
LFC Sub

74' Two goal Mo Salah heads off and on comes another goal threat for the last quarter hour - Daniel Sturridge on the field.

21:34 UK
Yellow card

74' Jovicic gets a yellow card for a poor tackle on Robertson and he is substituted off.

21:35 UK
PENALTY SAVED

76' Handball in the area from Red Star Belgrade. Penalty awarded.  Mane steps up and the keeper gets a hand on it.  Mane can't convert the follow up.

21:39 UK
GOAL

80' Immediate karma for Sadio Mane who slides in a toe-poke to give Liverpool their 4th.

21:40 UK
Lallana missed chance

Lallana just had the keeper to beat, but he hasn't got the legs and the defenders are catching him.

He hits it straight at the keeper.

Should have been 5.

21:43 UK
Final LFC Sub

Robertson heads off to a standing ovation.  On comes Moreno for the last few minutes.

21:48 UK
Shot!

90' It's a belter of a shot from Sturridge - going for another long distance effort but the keeper pushes it out for a corner. 

Big smiles from Klopp.

21:49 UK
Injury time

There's going to be 3 minutes.

21:51 UK
Side netting

90+2' Ball fed by Firmino into the path of Sadio Mane.  He tries to bend it around the keeper but sticks it into the side netting.

21:53 UK
FULL TIME

Job well done for the red men.

Liverpool 4-0 Red Star Belgrade

And it should probably have been more.  6 points from 3 games for the reds in this Champions League group.

Elsewhere it looks like PSG and Napoli are about to both drop 2 points.

21:59 UK
Liverpool lead Group C

The reds are back in charge at the top of the group.

1. Liverpool P3 Pts 6
2. Napoli P3 Pts 5
3. PSG P3 Pts 4
4. Red Star P3 Pts 1

Next up

Red Star Belgrade v Liverpool
Napoli v PSG

22:17 UK
Post Match

Virgil van Dijk:

"They are in the Champions League for a reason. They had a bit of quality from set-pieces. At the beginning of the game there was a lot of chaos. After 20 minutes we controlled the game.

"We need to look at ourselves and win every game that we play especially at home. It'll be a difficult game over there. We have to look forward to those challenges."

"Fabinho won a lot of balls and made some great passes - very happy for him. All the players worked hard tonight. I'm very happy we kept a clean sheet and scored some goals."

22:22 UK

Klopp: 

'It was a really good game.  I enjoyed it a lot. We did well and so I'm completely fine.

'Absolutely it was good (all front three scoring) but it was also good to see Adam and Daniel coming on.  I thought it was an all-over good performance.  Our defending was pretty clear in all situations, a good footballing game and a deserved win.

'Shaq was like he was involved in pretty much everything.  He was involved in the first goal, the second goal I'm not sure how he touched that ball.  

'I heard Paris made an equaliser late.  I don't know who is second in this group.  This group is a tough one for all of us so we need to be ready every day and we will be ready in two weeks.



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