Liverpool 6 – Y Qarabag
Reds: Mac Allister 15’ 61’, Wirtz 21’, Salah 50’, Ekitike 57’, Chiesa 90’
Carra’s Bag: N/A’
Pre-Match
Liverpool need a win to ensure automatic qualification for the knockout rounds. Against an underdog. At home. I can’t see why that’d be a problem this season. It appears as if Ryan Gravenberch will be starting the match at centerback. And Cody Gakpo is starting, period. So. This should be fun.
First Half
Two minutes in and Jeremie Frimpong pulls up with an apparent groin injury. The Qarabag attacker, in an incredible act
of sportsmanship, kicks it out straight away. Endo comes on in his place. Ooooof.
For those keeping score at home, Liverpool are now down to one (1) senior center backs and zero (0) senior right backs.
Alexis Mac Allister opens the scoring with a headed goal from a corner! I love a wee man getting a headed goal. Ekitike got the first touch with a flicked header at the near post, and Macca followed it in!
A few minutes later Wirtz slots after being played in by Ekitike after some excellent holdup play from the one (1) healthy center forward in our squad.
The half ends 2-0 to The Reds, who are up to third as things stand. Hard to judge this match, since Liverpool are the much better side, even with the makeshift backline.
Second Half
Salah wins a free kick at the edge of the box, and then scores the ensuing free kick! It’s a reverse of the one Szoboszlai scored last week, with Dom providing the necessary backheel flick to get the ball rolling.
Then Hugo gets on the scoresheet! It’s just a long clearance from Virgil, but Ekitike bullies two defenders and plays himself through on goal. He’s had a great match so far, and the goal is the icing on the cake!
Mac Allister gets his second of the match, and Liverpool’s fifth! It’s a bit sloppy, but a poor clearance lands at the Argentinian’s feet in the box, and he dribbles around the keeper and slots.
Wirtz and Ekitike come off after a bit more than an hour, making way for Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni. A few minutes later, Chiesa and Amara Nallo come on for Gakpo and Szoboszlai.
Chiesa puts the cherry on top! 6-0!
Final Thoughts
Weird that the Champions League continues to be a nice reprieve for The Reds, but that continues to be the case. As things currently stand, Liverpool will finish 3rd in the Champions League league phase (still sounds dumb). And winning the thing might be the easiest (and most fun) way to qualify for next year’s tournament.
