UCL: Liverpool beat Galatasaray to set up PSG quarter-final clash

Liverpool delivered a scintillating performance to put four goals past Galatasaray and set up a Champions League quarter-final against reigning champions Paris St-Germain.

Trailing 1-0 after defeat in Istanbul last week, Arne Slot’s side levelled the tie on aggregate when Dominik Szoboszlai converted a well-worked set-piece.

On the brink of half-time, Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by Ugurcan Cakir, but Liverpool scored three goals in the space of 11 second-half minutes to put the tie to bed.

Hugo Ekitike tapped in from close range after a superb ball from Salah before Ryan Gravenberch finished after Salah’s effort was saved by Cakir.

Wilfried Singo then turned the ball into his own net from Jeremie Frimpong’s cross, but Frimpong was offside, and minutes later, Salah scored an absolute belter.

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From outside the box, it was a trademark curling finish from Salah, who found the top corner and, in doing so, became the first African to score 50 Champions League goals.

Liverpool could easily have scored more, with Salah striking the bar and – were it not for Cakir – the final result could have been even uglier for Galatasaray, who had no away fans inside Anfield after they were hit with a UEFA sanction following crowd disturbances during their previous away game at Juventus.

The result means two English sides will be in the last eight of the Champions League, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham all eliminated. Arsenal will take on Sporting in one of the other quarter-finals.

For Arne Slot, it will be a first Champions League quarter-final and a chance to get one back against Luis Enrique’s side, who knocked Liverpool out of this competition last season.

It would not be an understatement to say that this was Liverpool’s biggest game of the season so far. Failing to go through and the pressure on Slot would only have intensified.

After the crowd reaction on Sunday, when Liverpool were booed off after drawing to Tottenham, the Liverpool players needed to put in a performance for both their manager and the crowd.

And they delivered. From the outset, Galatasaray seemed determined to take time out of the game. From the moment Szoboszlai broke the deadlock with his 12th goal of the season, the Turkish side had no answer to Liverpool’s onslaught.

The home side were rampant and could have put the game to bed before half-time. At the break, Okan Buruk, the Galatasaray boss, made two changes in a bid to get some control back, but his side had no answer to Liverpool’s energy.

Liverpool looked like they were scoring at will in the second half, and in the end, it could have been way more than four, with Cakir deserving some praise for making save after save.

Reports in Turkey had suggested that Galatasaray players were going to share a €5m bonus (£4.3m) had they claimed Liverpool’s scalp. In truth, they never even came close.

For Liverpool, despite their struggles, the season remains very much alive, and the thought of a last-eight tie against PSG is tantalising to say the least.

(BBC)