Liverpool maintained their excellent Champions League file to ensure a top-two end within the league section and automated last-16 qualification with a 2-1 win over Lille at Anfield on Tuesday.
Harvey Elliott’s deflected strike secured a seventh consecutive Champions League victory for Arne Slot’s males after Jonathan David cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s opener.
Liverpool stay three factors away from Barcelona, who got here from 4-2 all the way down to beat Benfica 5-4.
Lille’s first defeat in 22 video games in all competitions leaves the French facet eleventh.
Liverpool will welcome direct progress to the final 16, with out the necessity for a play-off spherical, with the Premier League leaders nonetheless concerned in 4 competitions. They’re assured to complete within the high two, with Barcelona the one facet that would pip them to first place.
Which means the Premier League leaders will face a facet that finishes between fifteenth and 18th within the final 16.
Nevertheless, Slot doesn’t imagine the desk tells a real story given that every membership faces a unique draw of eight opponents within the league section.
“We’re completely happy that we’re high eight. That is the one factor that tells me one thing, as a result of this league desk would not let you know something,” mentioned the Dutchman.
“So usually in tennis, when you’re #1, you understand when you play towards the quantity 24, he is most likely not so good as the quantity 16.
“However right here, as a result of we play completely different groups, perhaps the quantity 24 is healthier than the quantity 16, however the quantity 16 had a better draw.
“We additionally wish to be on high of the league, however I am not so certain. We’ve to attend and see if it is a bonus, let’s put it that approach.”
Slot took the prospect to rotate with the Reds already all however assured of progress to the subsequent spherical going into Tuesday’s match.
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez, contemporary from his match-winning contribution, got here in from the facet that beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday to open up a six-point lead on the high of the Premier League.
Lille arrived on Merseyside filled with confidence with Actual Madrid and Atletico Madrid among the many notable wins on their lengthy unbeaten run.
The guests have been removed from overawed early on as they began impressively with out ever critically threatening Alisson Becker’s objective.
Liverpool had struggled to get going till one defence-splitting move from Jones freed Salah to gallop clear and coolly slot in his fiftieth European objective for the membership on 34 minutes.
Jones had to get replaced at half-time in an harm concern for Slot, who additionally took the prospect to relaxation Ryan Gravenberch for the second 45 minutes as Elliot and Alexis Mac Allister have been launched.
Lille’s activity an not possible one when Aissa Mandi was despatched off for a second bookable offence for chopping down Luis Diaz.
But, inside three minutes, Liverpool’s club-record European run with out conceding was dropped at an finish.
David swept residence the rebound after Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s effort had been blocked by Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool had not conceded for one minute shy of 10 hours since Christian Pulisic struck for AC Milan inside the primary three minutes of their opening Champions League recreation of the season.
But, not for the primary time this season, Liverpool’s power in depth made the distinction with one other winner from a substitute.
There was a component of fortune about this one as Elliott’s strike from the sting of the world took an enormous deflection off Ngal’ayel Mukau to wrongfoot Lucas Chevalier.
The Lille ‘keeper denied Federico Chiesa a 3rd in stoppage time, earlier than Nunez was flagged offside as he swept within the rebound.
