After recently battering the Slovenian side at home, Liverpool faced a visiting team determined to avoid a repeat showing. While patience was required from the Reds, they eventually dispatched Maribor 3-0 at Anfield to all but punch their ticket to the elimination rounds.
Liverpool now only need one victory from their final two matches to advance from the group stage. While not a given, they remained atop the group and are in prime position to win the group.
Despite being a European night, the match looked remarkably similar to Saturday’s 3-0 victory against Huddersfield. A much need win against a team determined to defend, the Reds would have to wait until the second half to split the deadlock. The Reds dominated possession but lacked the necessary quality in the final third. There was even another missed penalty, this time by James Milner to thicken the plot.
While Mo Salah finally broke through after the break, it was Emre Can’s tidy one-two with a finish that truly broke the tension in the ground from the Reds difficulty grabbing the game fully. The German showed the quality that still has supporters curious about his contract situation. Maribor may have ventured forward on occasion but Can’s 64th-minute strike effectively ended things.
Here are four findings from the match.
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