Luis Diaz scored an excellent hat-trick to make it a depressing Anfield return for Xabi Alonso.
Colombia winger Diaz was recalled to the beginning line-up after being rested for Saturday’s win towards Brighton and made essentially the most of his alternative, scoring thrice within the second half after Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen had shaded a low-key opening 45 minutes.
Cody Gakpo was additionally on the scoresheet as Liverpool maintained their 10o per cent report within the Champions League this season.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, who was reportedly thought-about as a successor to Jurgen Klopp earlier than Arne Slot received the job, was afforded a heat welcome again on Merseyside however he’ll go away alarmed on the approach his workforce capitulated as the house aspect moved seamlessly by the gears.
High of the Premier League.
High of the Champions League.
Scoring targets and protecting clear sheets for enjoyable.
The Arne Slot period is effectively underway 👏 pic.twitter.com/PhxGPXaclI
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) November 5, 2024
Calm earlier than the storm
For all of the noise and keenness that accompanied the kick-off, the opening to the sport was subdued with neither aspect in a position to create any notable probabilities.
Alonso was on his toes after 21 minutes asking for a penalty as Jeremie Frimpong went down below the problem of Virgil van Dijk however referee Danny Makkelie was unmoved.
Leverkusen had been the higher aspect with Liverpool’s solely probability within the opening 40 minutes coming courtesy of a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick that hit the wall and went behind for a nook.
Mohamed Salah then examined Lukas Hradecky with a shot that introduced a routine save from the visiting goalkeeper.
Leverkusen had been left cursing the officiating as soon as once more on the stroke of half-time. Frimpong beat Kostas Tsimikas down the precise earlier than chopping inside and slotting his shot previous Caoimhin Kelleher.
Makkelie penalised his fellow Dutchman for handball within the build-up, nonetheless, and VAR backed his resolution.
The sport continued to trundle alongside till it sparked into life in a frantic last half hour.
Liverpool v Leverkusen = The Luis Diaz Present ✨
All three targets from the Colombian of their 4-0 victory… ⚽️⚽️⚽️#UCLonPrime pic.twitter.com/fqh6uW0aQq
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) November 5, 2024
First purpose opens floodgates
Liverpool’s opener after 61 minutes was the catalyst. Curtis Jones was the architect with a beautiful, defence-splitting ball and Diaz did the remaining with a intelligent, chipped end over the advancing Hradecky.
It was 2-0 two minutes later, Salah crossing for Gakpo to go house, the purpose given after a prolonged VAR verify.
The hitherto boisterous Leverkusen followers had been shocked they usually nearly witnessed a Liverpool third after 72 minutes however Alexis Mac Allister’s shot was effectively saved by Hradecky earlier than Alexander-Arnold blazed the rebound over the bar.
It proved to be temporary respite for the German champions as Diaz struck once more after 83 minutes. Salah was once more the creator with a right-wing cross that Diaz transformed on the far put up after shrugging off the problem of Jonas Hofmann.
Anfield was bouncing however Diaz was not performed but and the previous Porto winger netted once more in harm time, reacting quickest after substitute Darwin Nunez’s shot was blocked by Piero Hincapie.
