Genk 1-4 Liverpool: 5 talking points | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Liverpool won their second Champions League game on the trot by beating Genk 4-1 at the Luminus Arena on Wednesday night. The Reds opened the scoring in the second minute through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who doubled the visitors’ advantage in the 57th minute.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scored in the 77th and 87th minutes respectively to put the game to bed, with Genk reducing the arrears through substitute Stephen Odey late on.
The win helped Liverpool consolidate the second spot in Group E with six points from three outings, just one behind leaders Napoli, who edged out RB Salzburg 3-2 last night.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, who headed into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League last weekend, put in a professional display at Belgium to move another step closer to booking their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
So, without further ado, here are the five talking points from the game:
#1 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back among the goals
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his first Champions League appearance of the season in style by scoring a superb brace. The former Arsenal man, who managed just two substitute appearances for Liverpool last season due to an ACL injury, broke the deadlock early on as his low-driven shot from just outside the box found the back of the net.
It was Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first goal of the season, with the Englishman thus far making 10 appearances in all competitions for the reigning European champions in the current campaign. He doubled Liverpool’s lead with another effort from outside the box in the 57th minute. The goals are certain to boost the 26-year-old’s confidence, and he will definitely be looking to cement his place in Liverpool’s starting XI.
The midfielder, who was in fine form before picking up the nasty injury in the 2017-18 season, put in a great display against Genk at the Luminus Arena before being substituted in the 74th minute.
It will be surprising if Jurgen Klopp doesn’t reward Oxlade-Chamberlain with another start in Liverpool’s upcoming vital Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.