Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow: 5 Talking Points
A supposedly nervy tie ended up a rout as Liverpool waltzed to a 7-0 win over their hapless European opponents. The attacking quartet of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were all on the attacking score sheet.
Coutinho led the way with a hat-trick, while Mane with a brace and a goal each for Firmino and Mane completed a one-sided tie.
Liverpool never looked to be in trouble from the offset and the serious approach which Klopp had emphasized upon was on display from the start.
With the victory, Liverpool ensured they finished top of their European group, ahead of Sevilla, who were held to a tie by Maribor in their final group stage match. Here are the talking points from Liverpool's rout of Spartak Moscow:
#5 The "Little Magician" weaves his way to a first hattrick
Over the summer, a lot of distractions meant Phillipe Coutinho was not a sure starter for the early part of Liverpool's campaign. But as the season has progressed, the Brazillian has given hints of his ability that had made him Barcelona's primary target in the transfer window.
The Brazilian has been in a rich vein of form since his return to the fold and scored a well-deserved hat-trick.
Coutinho commenced the scoring in this one-sided tie with a penalty as early in the 4th minute before doubling Liverpool's lead in the 15th minute. As the game progressed, the Brazilian found himself in pockets of spaces and was at the fulcrum of most Liverpool attacking moves.
Such was the dominance of Liverpool, that it was surprising that the Coutinho had to wait until the 50th minute to complete his hat-trick. In fact, having scored Liverpool's fastest Champions League goal, the Reds were well placed to topple their previous record of 8-0 against Besiktas.