Mohamed Salah scored early and Harvey Elliott scored late, and that was all Liverpool needed to beat Lille at Anfield on Tuesday and move to 7-for-7 perfect in the newly formatted UEFA Champions League group stage.
MORE – Arne Slot, Mo Salah, Harvey Elliott reaction
The Reds were already through to the round of 16 with a bye from the first knockout round ahead of game no. 7 (of 8), yet Arne Slot elected to retain six starters from the weekend in the first XI for a game with no tangible consequence to his side.
MORE — Who can qualify for Champions League last 16?
Salah’s goal was his 50th in European competition for Liverpool, and it was a classically Salah goal as he raced in behind Lille’s defense to take Curtis Jones’ perfectly weighted through ball and lift it over the out-rushing goalkeeper with his first touch from outside the box. Lightning quick, expertly timed and deftly dispatched. Just over five months from the expiration of his contract, the 32-year-old Egyptian superstar is still not signed for next season.
MORE – Champions League schedule | UCL live table
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Scorers: Mohamed Salah (34′), Jonathan David (62′), Harvey Elliott (67′)
Even with a position among the 8 best already insured, Slot has chosen to keep Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz and Ryan Gravenberch, who opposed Brentford on Saturday, while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister and on the bench is Ibrahima Konaté. A rare start and an opportunity to impress for Curtis Jones, who only played 25 minutes in total in the last 3 Liverpool games, now that all in the midfield are in good shape.
Alisson – Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas – Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai – Salah, Diaz, Nunez
Chevalier – Mandi, Diakité, Ribeiro, Gudmondsson – André, Mukau, Haraldssson – Cabella, Bakker, David
Start time: P. M. ET Tuesday (January 21)
Location: Anfield-Liverpool
TV/Streaming: Paramount+
Liverpool have won all six games at league level so far, putting themselves at the top of the table. To check their position in the 8 most sensible in the table, which promises a position in the circular of 16 without going through the playoffs, they want a point opposite to the French upstarts of Lille on Tuesday.
The slot would possibly decide to rest some players given the busy schedule of recent weeks, however, crossing the finish line to avoid an extra Champions League game and giving them some time to rest in February is a must for their Champions League Premier League, FA and League Cup hopes. Liverpool are doing well with the rotation and replacement of their team, Darwin Nunez was their hero at Brentford at the weekend as he scored twice late on to seal a victory and widen their lead in the most sensible of the Table the Premier League of the Premier League of the Premier League.
But Lille have once again punched well above their weight as they sit eighth in the Champions League standings and are in last place to go straight into the last 16. The team from northern France They are third in Ligue 1 and are far from the leaders of PSG, even They have prospered in the Champions League this season with victories at Atlético de Madrid, at home against Real Madrid and retiring to Juventus.
Slot has a lot of features to play in the lineup and players like Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones are pushing for a debut. Robertson is expected to start at left-back after Kostas Tsimikas there this weekend. Jota will be out for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury, with Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and, of course, Mohamed Salah, the Reds’ trio started in attack.
Released: Joe Gomez (hamstrings), Diogo Jota (shoulder)
Canadian striker Jonathan David is Lille’s main threat, with 17 goals in all competitions this season. David is out of contract this summer and is attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League. Bruno Genesio’s Lille haven’t lost a game in any competition since September 17, when they lost at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, as they’re currently on a 21-game unbeaten run. They have plenty of experience in captain Benjamin Andre, midfielder Remy Cabella and defender Thomas Meunier, while Lille also have a host of talented youngsters. This is a very balanced side and both Madrid giants have slipped up after underestimating Lille this season.
It will be a difficult game for Liverpool, however, they will locate a way of going beyond Lille, and possibly they would have to bring the bank’s return superstars due to doing so. Liverpool 2-1 Lille.
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