Liverpool put their Premier League problems aside and ensured smooth progress to the Uefa Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win against RB Leipzig thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
Coronavirus travel restrictions saw the second leg of this round-of-16 tie – Liverpool’s home leg – moved to Budapest, though that was perhaps a blessing in disguise for Liverpool considering they have lost their last six League games in a row at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side held a strong advantage going into this game given their two away goals from the first leg, but Liverpool still started brightly as they looked to kill the tie off early on.
Both sides had chances in a goalless opening 45 minutes, with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota denied by Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulasci while Emil Forsberg wasted two good opportunities at the other end.
Leipzig grew into the game after the break as substitute Alexander Sorloth headed against the bar, but Liverpool heeded that warning as Jota teed up Salah for a clinical finish 20 minutes from time – and Mane made it two with a close-range finish off a Divock Origi cross four minutes later.
As for Liverpool, Klopp will hope that progress here can be a turning point for their fortunes – though stranger thingds have happened than seeing a team struggling domestically go all the way in the Champions League
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