Liverpool cruised into the Europa League knockout phase as Group E leaders following a ruthless 4-0 demolition of LASK at Anfield on Thursday. This victory extended the Reds' perfect home record to 10 wins from 10 matches this season. The game was effectively decided early on, with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo scoring quick-fire goals in the opening quarter-hour. In the second half, Mohamed Salah stepped up to score a penalty, marking his 199th goal in a Liverpool shirt. His subsequent substitution means he'll be hunting for his 200th goal during Sunday afternoon's fixture against Fulham. To top off the evening, Trent Alexander-Arnold provided a brilliant assist for Gakpo to net the fourth goal during added time.
Liverpool qualified for the Europa League knockout stages as Group E winners following their dominant 4-0 win over Austria’s LASK at Anfield on Thursday. The Reds made it 10 victories in 10 games at Anfield this season with two quick goals in the first 15 minutes from Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, before Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty, his 199th goal for Liverpool made it 3-0 after the break. Salah was substituted shortly after scoring, meaning he will have the opportunity to reach a double century of goals for the club when his team plays Fulham on Sunday afternoon. A brilliant pass from substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold helped Gakpo to score the fourth in the added time.
With Toulouse playing out a 0-0 draw against Union Saint-Gilloise, Liverpool secured qualification with a match to spare. Finishing top of Group E with 12 points allowed Jurgen Klopp's team to bypass the February play-offs and jump straight into the Round of 16.
The opening goal almost came sooner when Harvey Elliott played a perfectly weighted ball to Gakpo, but the forward wasted the chance by shooting over from inside the area. Liverpool corrected this almost immediately, as Luis Diaz linked up with Joe Gomez on the right flank, eventually leading to Diaz reclaiming the ball and finding the back of the net.
LASK actually started with some energy; Sascha Horvath made a dangerous run down the right and set up Moses Usor, but a poor touch from the striker allowed the Liverpool defense to recover. Liverpool responded quickly when Diaz found Salah, who then squared the ball for Gakpo to finish clinically. LASK continued to push, forcing Kostas Tsimikas to make a crucial goal-line clearance from Usor. However, the momentum stayed with the home side, highlighted by a thunderous long-range strike from Tsimikas that rattled the crossbar.
The lead grew further when Gakpo was fouled in the box by Lawal, earning Liverpool a penalty. Despite Lawal's efforts in goal, Salah calmly slotted the ball into the corner. After coming on as a substitute, Darwin Nunez was active and created several chances, though Lawal managed to deny both the Uruguayan and Harvey Elliott with impressive saves. Finally, Gakpo put the finishing touch on a perfect night with another goal from inside the box.
In another group match, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick to help Marseille advance, defeating a 10-man Ajax side. Although Ajax fought back three times, including a brace from Brian Brobbey, their efforts were hampered in the second half when Steven Berghuis received a red card for his challenge on Joaquin Correa.