Red-hot Liverpool hit seven to ignite Champions League campaign
Soccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 General view of the scoreboard at full time REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic
MARIBOR, Slovenia (Reuters) - Liverpool produced a superb attacking display to ignite their stuttering Champions League campaign with a blistering 7-0 Group E victory at Maribor on Tuesday.
Having drawn their opening two games, Liverpool made a dream start when Mohamed Salah burst into the box before squaring for Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino to stroke home in the fourth minute.
Nine minutes later Firmino's compatriot Philippe Coutinho converted James Milner's smart pullback to double the lead before Salah finished smartly at the near post as Liverpool ran riot in the opening 19 minutes.
Soccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring their fifth goal with Dejan Lovren, Philippe Coutinho and team mates Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Liverpool's fluid, dynamic front three continued to cut loose and the effervescent Salah capped a stunning first half for the visitors, converting Alberto Moreno's low cross to make it 4-0 in the 39th minute.
Halftime did little to halt their momentum and Firmino added a well-deserved second finishing from Coutinho's fierce cross with a deft header in the 54th minute.
Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with his first Liverpool goal, and Trent Alexander-Arnold completed the rout in the closing stages as the visitors registered their biggest win under manager Juergen Klopp.
Soccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 NK Maribor’s Marko Suler, Dino Hotic and team mates look dejected as the applaud the fans at the end of the match REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic
Liverpool have five points after three games to lead Group E from Spartak Moscow on goal difference, while Spanish side Sevilla sit one point adrift in third.
Maribor have one point.
Soccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Roberto Firmino scores their fifth goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
(Writing by Tom Hayward; Editing by Toby Davis)
Soccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates scoring their sixth goal with Philippe Coutinho Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsSoccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsSoccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp celebrates at the end of the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsSoccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Roberto Firmino celebrates scoring their fifth goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsSoccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsSoccer Football - Champions League - Maribor vs Liverpool - Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia - October 17, 2017 Liverpool's Roberto Firmino scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
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