Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen Report

Scorers: Diaz 61’, 83’, 90+2’, Gakpo 63’

Liverpool 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen: Luis Díaz Hat-Trick Secures Comfortable UCL Victory for Dominant Reds

Liverpool’s patience paid off as they convincingly defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 at Anfield, with Luis Díaz’s hat-trick extending the Reds’ unbeaten run against German opposition to 14 matches and reinforcing their place at the top of the UCL group.

First Half: Tight Opening as Both Sides Test the Waters

Xabi Alonso received a warm welcome on his return to Anfield, but his side soon found themselves embroiled in a defensive battle against a Liverpool team eager to dominate possession.

Both teams had their early chances, with Cody Gakpo and Victor Boniface narrowly missing the target. Curtis Jones and Edmond Tapsoba tested the goalkeepers with routine saves, while blocks from Virgil van Dijk and Jonathan Tah thwarted powerful strikes from Granit Xhaka and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The first half seemed destined to end goalless until a late flurry of Liverpool chances. Díaz won a free-kick on the edge of the box after drawing a foul from Xhaka, but Alexander-Arnold’s shot deflected off-target. Moments later, Salah and Gakpo threatened but were both denied by Leverkusen’s Lukas Hradecky.

Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong appeared to put Leverkusen ahead with a powerful strike, only for the goal to be disallowed due to handball in the build-up.

Second Half: Díaz Breaks the Deadlock, and Liverpool Take Control

Leverkusen continued to frustrate Liverpool’s attack in the early stages of the second half. However, the breakthrough finally came after Ryan Gravenberch skillfully navigated the midfield to set up Salah, who missed his chance but sparked Liverpool’s momentum.

Shortly after, Díaz showcased his clinical finishing, receiving Jones’ pass and lifting the ball over Hradecky to open the scoring in the 61st minute.

Liverpool’s confidence surged, and just two minutes later, they doubled their lead. Gakpo timed his run perfectly to meet Salah’s cross, heading the ball past Hradecky to make it 2-0.

Closing Stages: Díaz Completes Hat-Trick as Liverpool Cruise to Victory

Liverpool showed no signs of letting up. Díaz scored his second goal after outmuscling Jonas Hofmann and converting Salah’s cross with a cool finish. In the dying minutes, he completed his hat-trick, capitalising on a blocked shot from Darwin Núñez to seal Liverpool’s 4-0 victory.

Conclusion

This dominant performance takes Liverpool to the top of their UCL group, with Arne Slot’s side now boasting a perfect record in Europe. Díaz’s impressive hat-trick underscored his form, and Liverpool’s growing momentum under Slot shows they are a force to be reckoned with on the European stage.

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Liverpool vs Leverkusen | UEFA Champions League 2024/25