Liverpool 2-0 (4-0 agg) RB Leipzig PLAYER RATINGS: Defender Nat Phillips put in a commanding display at the back as visitors’ Emil Forsberg and Yussuf Poulsen struggled… and Thiago impressed higher up the pitch
- Liverpool cruised into Champions League quarter-finals after 4-0 aggregate win
- Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scored but defender Nat Phillips stood out
- Sportsmail runs the rule over both sets of players in Budapest on Wednesday
Liverpool cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals after a 4-0 aggregate victory over RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scored in a 2-0 win in Budapest to build on their first-leg advantage.
Here, Sportsmail’s DOMINIC KING runs the rule over both sets of players in what was a much-needed win for the Reds.
Liverpool cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals after a 4-0 aggregate victory
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1)
Alisson Becker – 7
One slight lapse in the first half when he flapped at a cross but, in the main, didn’t put a glove out of place.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7
Leipzig’s tactic in the first half was playing the ball in behind him but he was never caught out of position.
Nat Phillips – 8
Kept things simple. Headed it when it needed to be headed, cleared it when it needed to be cleared.
Liverpool defender Nat Phillips was a standout performer against RB Leipzig on Wednesday
Ozan Kabak – 6.5
He’s looking a lot more settled than was the case three weeks ago, made the interventions that he needed to,
Andrew Robertson – 6.5
Has been a reliable figure this season and that was the case again here, getting up and down the left with aplomb.
Gini Wijnaldum – 7
Covers so much ground and gets through so much work with the minimum of fuss; players like him are hard to find.
Midfielder Gini Wijnaldum covers a lot of ground and gets through so much work
Fabinho – 7.5
Looked so much more comfortable in his natural midfield position and the team were so much more in control because of it.
Thiago Alcantara – 7
Hardly gave the ball away, one glorious pass to Salah with a karate kick was the highlight of his night.
Thiago Alcantara put in a solid performance as he hardly gave the ball away in Budapest
Diogo Jota – 6.5
Could have had a hat-trick in the first half but wasted three glorious chances; provided pass for Salah’s goal.
Sadio Mane – 7.5
Started well but got an early bump of the head; came to life in the second half helping create the first and scoring the second.
Mohamed Salah – 7.5
Always looked the man to come up with the goods and duly delivered when it mattered, ending his four-match famine.
Mohamed Salah always looked the man to come up with the goods and duly delivered
Subs
Origi (for Jota 71mins)
Keita (for Thiago 71mins)
Not used: Adrian (GK), H Davies (GK) Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Keita, Jones, Tsimikas, Shaqiri, B Davies, R Williams, N Williams
Manager: Jurgen Klopp – 7
Will have been buoyed by the way his team controlled the tie but, equally, will have frustrated that the final score wasn’t even more emphatic.
RB LEIPZIG (3-1-4-2): Gulacsi 7: Mukiele 6, Upamecano 5.5, Klostermann 5: Kampl 5 (Sorloth 46mins 6): Adams 5, Olmo 6.5 (Haidara 72mins 6), Sabitzer 6, Nkunku 6: Poulsen 5 (Hwang 60mins 6), Forsberg 5 (Kluivert 60mins 6)
Subs not used: Martinez (GK), Henrichs, Orban, Konate, Samardzic, Halstenberg
Manager – Julian Nagelsmann 5
Referee – Clement Turpin 7