Categories: LiverpoolUEFA Champions League

Liverpool secure 7th Champions League win at home to Lille

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Liverpool made it 7 wins out of 7 with a 2-1 home victory against 10-men Lille in the Champions League

Liverpool came into this match with high confidence on the back of six straight wins in the UEFA Champions League. However Lille were also full of confidence on the back of a 21-game unbeaten run including notable wins in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

The game started with Liverpool in control but Lille were keeping it tight. Mo Salah looked very dangerous making several breaks down the right and came close to opening the scoring early on when he cut inside and hit a shot with his trade mark left foot narrowly wide of the target.

On the 33rd minute of the game Tmiskas won the ball for Liverpool with a sliding tackle. The ball broke to Jones who hit a sublime 50-yard pass through to Salah to put him through on goal. The Egyptian slotted the ball over the onrushing keeper into the top corner of the Lille net to put the home side in front. The goal marked Salah’s 50th European goal, a record for any Liverpool player.

Lille held on to halftime to keep it at 1-0 but faced an even tougher challenge in the second half when they went down to ten men when Aissa Mandi got sent off for a second yellow card in the 59th minute. However they responded well to the setback and just three minutes later they levelled the match. The ball broke to Jonathan David in the box who smashed it passed Liverpool’s Brazilian keeper Allison.

Lille were showing real fight now but Liverpool reacted and moved up through the gears. On the 67th minute the ball came back out to Harvey Elliott on the edge of the box following a corner. He hit a shot hard and, with the aid of a big deflection, it ended up in the Lille net to make it 2-1 on the night to the Reds.

Liverpool moved the ball well in the last 15 minutes running Lille all over the pitch but they could not find a third goal to kill the match. The game ended 2-1 to Liverpool to put them on 21 points and guarantee a top two place in the UEFA Champions League stage.

Seven wins in a row is an extraordinary achievement in the Champions League for any team. If Liverpool can keep their top players all fit who would bet against them going all the way to the final in Munich come May.