Liverpool booked their place in the Champions League’s last-16 with a 2-1 win over Lille.
Mohamed Salah broke the deadlock with his 50th European goal from Curtis Jones’ through pass after Kostas Tsimikas had dispossessed Jonathan David.
The visitors were reduced to ten men just before the hour mark as Aissa Mandi received a second booking for hauling down Luis Diaz on the break.
They responded to that setback almost instantly through Jonathan David’s rebounded equaliser following a blocked shot by Gabriel Gudmundsson.
But the Reds’ response proved equally emphatic when Harvey Elliott’s shot on the turn from the edge of the box was deflected in by Ngal’Ayel Mukau.
Arne Slot’s side are now assured of a top two finish ahead of next week’s final round of games for the league phase for Europe’s elite club competition.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Reds dragged to the wire again
The Champions League’s new format has been both a blessing and a curse.
Liverpool continue to make short work of their latest foray in Europe’s elite club competition with a perfect return of seven wins from as many games.
Qualification for the knockout round is officially assured; a far cry from the days when group stage campaigns often went down to the final matchday.
Indeed, when Tuesday’s final whistle sounded at Anfield, it appeared a near-certainty that Arne Slot’s side had also sealed their place as league leaders.
At that stage, the results appeared to have fallen in their favour with Atletico Madrid’s victory over Bayer Leverkusen providing them with breathing space.
So, too, had Barcelona’s seeming inability to take maximum points at Benfica despite clawing back a 4-2 deficit as their encounter headed into added time.
But the Catalans’ last-gasp victory at the Estadio da Luz means there will be no let-up for the Reds’ quest to claim top spot now goes down to the wire.
Fortunately, Kopites only have to wait until next week’s finale with PSV Eindhoven before toasting their team as the continent’s undisputed best.
Elliott continues to reap rewards
Harvey Elliott has needed to be patient for his latest Liverpool opportunities.
After returning from a foot injury in November, the midfielder needed to bide his time in attempts to force a way back into Slot’s first-team reckoning.
He detailed how ‘friendly’ conversations with the Dutchman offered a sense of perspective in terms of the attributes required for more regular opportunities.
Fresh from an influential cameo in last weekend’s late win over Brentford, Elliott was entrusted to fill the void left by Curtis Jones’ half-time withdrawal.
He repaid Slot’s faith with a third goal involvement from successive outings which not even Ngal’Ayel Mukau’s deflection could take the shine off.
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That special moment in front of The Kop also marked his first goal from European competitions since finding the target against Ajax in October 2022.
More than finding the target, however, underpinned why Elliott deserves his chance in the spotlight again after producing a well-rounded performance.
Still only 21, he offered a compelling case to fight for it more frequently.
Quansah clinches rock-solid record
Making your Champions League debut is a daunting prospect at any time.
Jarell Quansah could be forgiven for having added trepidation about his, given it came against one of Europe’s recently formidable opposition.
Lille ventured to Merseyside with a 21-game unbeaten streak which included notable scalps from their earlier outings against Real Madrid and Atletico.
There was also the added pressure of Liverpool potentially setting a new club record for the most minutes without conceding a goal in continental outings.
Tasked with that dual responsibility, Quansah rose to the occasion alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence to achieve both aims with aplomb.
His role in ensuring the backline remained rock-solid saw the previous shutout record of 572, set by Rafael Benitez in 2005/06, surpassed before half time.
Not only did Slot’s rear-guard eclipse that tally but extended it to 599 minutes, by which point an irrepressible Jonathan David had drawn the visitors level.
Quansah is under no illusions he remains behind Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez in the pecking order but, when required, is increasingly dependable.