Liverpool secured their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over 10-man Lille on Tuesday at Anfield. Goals from Mohamed Salah and substitute Harvey Elliott ensured the Reds maintained their perfect record in the competition.
The win puts Arne Slot’s men at the top of the 36-team table with 21 points, three ahead of second-placed Barcelona, with one game left in the league phase. Lille, who had been on a 21-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, are in 11th place with 13 points.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the 34th minute, registering his 50th European goal for Liverpool. Curtis Jones delivered a precise long pass after Kostas Tsimikas won possession deep in Liverpool’s half, allowing Salah to curl a stunning shot past Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
“Special is, I think, the word that describes Mo’s performance at this club,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot. “Or maybe there are even better words to use, but he’s been outstanding for this club for so many years, and still he does. Today, great goal.”
Lille’s evening took a turn for the worse when Aissa Mandi received his second yellow card in the 59th minute for a tackle on Luis Diaz, leaving the visitors with 10 men. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Lille found an equalizer three minutes later. Jonathan David smashed home a loose ball after Hakon Arnar Haraldsson’s initial shot was blocked, bringing Lille level.
However, Liverpool quickly regained the lead. In the 67th minute, a poorly cleared corner fell to Harvey Elliott at the edge of the box. His shot took a wild deflection, wrong-footing Chevalier and nestling into the net.
Jonathan David praised Liverpool’s strength, saying, “Very good team. I think they might be the best team in the world at the moment. It’s frustrating; we wanted to hold on as long as we could, but it’s very difficult.”
The Reds thought they had added a third when Darwin Nunez scored late in the match, but it was ruled out for offside. Despite the disallowed goal, the Anfield crowd roared in appreciation for the Uruguayan’s performance.
Liverpool will conclude their league phase on January 29 with an away fixture against PSV Eindhoven, while Lille host Feyenoord in what promises to be another high-stakes encounter.
