Liverpool top Champions League

A 4-0 win over Leverkusen thanks to a Luis Diaz hat-trick kept Liverpool on course for a perfect start to the Champions League group stage.

After the first hour, the two teams were still tied 0-0 with few clear-cut chances created. The turning point came in the 61st minute, when Diaz broke the offside trap, got in behind Curtis Jones and chipped the ball over goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to open the scoring.

The goal helped Diaz and his teammates play more freely in the remaining minutes. After Cody Gakpo increased the score, Diaz scored two more late on to give Liverpool their 14th win in 16 games under Arne Slot.

As with the Premier League with Brighton last weekend, Liverpool were lacklustre in the first half at Anfield. It wasn’t until the injury time that they created their first clear-cut chance, when Jones passed long for Cody Gakpo to run down and finish close to Hradecky. On the other side of the pitch, Jeremie Frimpong stood out with a controversial dive in the penalty area, and a goal that was disallowed for a handball.

Signs of improvement soon came in the second half, as the team worked together to create space for Mohamed Salah to make a mistake. Just two minutes after Diaz’s opener, Salah made amends with a cross that seemed to be placed on Gakpo’s head. The Dutchman’s goal was initially ruled out for offside, but the referee allowed it after consulting VAR.

Leverkusen pressed forward in search of an equaliser, but their spirits dropped after striker Victor Boniface headed wide from an open position, from about five metres. Liverpool continued to counter in the final 10 minutes, with more than one man. Diaz completed his hat-trick with two easy finishes in the 83rd and 90+2nd minutes, taking his tally to nine goals this season.

As coach Xabi Alonso said before the match on the day of his return to Anfield, Liverpool are showing that they are the best team in Europe at the moment. 12 points after four matches make Slot’s team almost certain to qualify for the knockout round. They are one of two teams that have won all of the Champions League this season, along with Aston Villa – who will play Club Brugge tonight.

Alonso’s Leverkusen, with their first defeat, dropped to 11th with seven points and still have a chance to continue.

In the next round, Leverkusen will play Salzburg on November 26, while Liverpool will host Real a day later.