PLAYER RATINGS: 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
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PLAYER RATINGS: Nat Phillips put in a commanding display at the back as visitors’ Emil Forsberg and Yussuf Poulsen struggled… while Thiago impressed higher up the pitch
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 (4-3-3)
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 – 8.5
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 – 7.5
He’s looking a lot more settled than was the case three weeks ago, made the interventions that he needed to,
Andrew Robertson – 7
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 – 8
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
Keita 6 (for Thiago 71min); Origi 6 (for Jota 71); Milner (for Wijnaldum 82); Tsimikas (for Robertson 89); Oxlade-Chamberlain (for Mane 89).
Manager: Jurgen Klopp – 7
Will have been buoyed by the way his team controlled the tie but, equally, will have been 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 6
RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg struggled in the Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday
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