Comfortable home win for Liverpool over Italians Bologna in Champions League

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Liverpool secured their second win of the new-look UEFA Champions League group stage with a 2-0 victory over Bologna at Anfield

Anfield welcomed the return of Champions League football after a year in the lower levels of European football. 3,500 Bologna fans added to the already electric atmosphere from the home fans.

Bologna knew it would be a hectic start and Liverpool did not disappoint. They went on the attack from the first whistle with a great move from back to front. A through ball into Nunez who smashed it low and hard into the net. But alas the assistant referee’s flag was up. It was tight but Nunez was off and it stayed at 0-0.

Bologna worked hard. They were man-marking all over the pitch and were very physical in the challenge with tackles flying in. They were getting some joy down Liverpool’s right side and Allison in goals was kept on his toes.

However it was Liverpool who took the lead. Mo Salah fired in a beautiful ball from the right which found Argentinean Alexis Mac Allister only three yards out who could not miss to make it 1-0 on the night after only 11 minutes.

Despite the set back, Bologna did not lie down and kept the man marking up and came close to equalising when they hit the crossbar.

In the second half Bologna kept fighting and Allison had to make two sharp saves to keep the score at 1-0. However the contest was all-but ended in the 75th minute when Mo Salah took the ball from the right hand and came inside on his left foot across the 18 yard box before rifling in a left foot shot into the top corner of the Bologna net to make it 2-0. There were chances for Gakpo to make it 3-0 to the home side but that would have been harsh on a very hard working Bologna side.

For Liverpool it’s two wins from two in the Champions League. Up next for them is a visit to Germany against Leipzig. After that it is Leverkusen and Real Madrid at Anfield so it will not get any easier. But so far for Arnie Slot it is a dream start to life after Klopp.