Liverpool Secures Top-3 Seed In Champions League Knockout Phase With 6-0 Thrashing

Liverpool may be struggling in the Premier League, but they're a very different side in the Champions League, as they underlined on Wednesday by storming straight into the last 16 of the competition by hammering Qarabag 6-0 at Anfield. With the Reds' defensive injury crisis having worsened in Saturday's shocking defeat at Bournemouth, the last thing head coach Arne Slot needed was Jeremie Frimpong hobbling off with what looked like his third hamstring injury of the season after just two minutes of play on Merseyside.

However, that was the one negative on an evening full of positives for the under-pressure Dutch coach. Alexis Mac Allister, who has looked a shadow of his usual self this season, bagged a brace and could have had a hat-trick by the end, Mohamed Salah scored for his club for the first time since November 1 with a fine free-kick, while Virgil van Dijk went some way towards making up for his mistake at the Vitality Stadium at the weekend with a hat-trick of assists (even if two of them weren't really intentional!).

A smiling Slot was also thrilled with the performances of in-form forward duo Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, who both netted in what was a morale-boosting win ahead of Saturday's must-win Premier League meeting with Newcastle.

GOAL rates all of the Liverpool players on show at Anfield as the Reds claimed third place in the Champions League league phase in emphatic fashion ...

Alisson Becker (6/10):

With Liverpool comfortable for the most part, Alisson was rarely called into action. When he was, he dealt easily with the danger.

Jeremie Frimpong (N/A):

Forced off less than four minutes into the game with yet another injury. A disaster for the Dutchman and his team.

Ryan Gravenberch (7/10):

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