In the marquee matchup of the quarter final round of the Champions League, Liverpool hosted Manchester City at a buzzing Anfield that evoked the memories of magnificent European nights.
After receiving a harrowing welcome on their ride to the ground, the Reds gave City an even more raucous reception. Liverpool rattled Manchester City 3-0 in a scoreline that far from flattered.
While Anfield bounced, the match held equal promise of being a tight, cagey affair or a lopsided thrashing by either side. The night proved to be the latter as Liverpool ran riot for 20 minutes in the first half and overwhelmed Manchester City’s backline, scoring all three goals between the 12th and 30th minute.
The front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané pressed and passed their way with poise. It was a performance of controlled aggression. The Reds may have let City possess the ball but they refused to let them penetrate with any genuine threat. They were unable to get a single shot on target.
Instead, Liverpool kept Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, and company on the perimeter and attacked as much without the ball as they did with it.
When the Reds got on the ball, they blitzed forward with menacing intent. Similar to City’s last visit, Liverpool pounced and punished and all but won the match in the first half. This time there would be no hanging on for the victory, however. The Merseysiders sapped the Citizens for a rare clean sheet.
Goals from Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mané left City shellshocked with barely a half an hour of play. City never fully recovered, despite fighting until the final whistle, and Liverpool piled on the pressure ahead of next week’s tie at the Etihad.
Here are four findings from the match:
