A look at how the national media reacted to Liverpool's 6-0 hammering of Qarabag and qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League
Liverpool put six goals past Qarabag
Liverpool put six goals past Qarabag
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The biggest win of Arne Slot's tenure means Liverpool are now awaiting one of four teams in the knockout stages of the Champions League. A 6-0 drubbing of Qarabag at Anfield sees the Reds set to face one from Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, Juventus or Club Brugge.
The ECHO, as always, was at the game to provide our exhaustive match-day coverage. From player ratings and analysis to the big-match verdict, we had every angle covered. The reaction of Arne Slot and Qarabag boss Gurban Gurbanov were also covered.
Our colleagues from the national media were also on hand to provide their own considered takes. Here's what they made of it all.
On the Daily Mail's pages, Lewis Steele writes: "From minute four to the final whistle, this went exactly how Arne Slot would have dreamt it when his head hit the pillow the previous night.
"Liverpool secured their safe passage to the last-16 of the Champions League without breaking a sweat, thrashing Qarabag 6-0."In doing so, and perhaps just as importantly, they managed to secure two midweeks off for their jaded team as they will not have to contest the stage some are calling the punishment play-offs."Mohamed Salah was also back in the goals, his first for Liverpool since November 1 after a public fallout with the head coach and month away with Egypt. It was some goal, too."It ended up a tough night for the Azerbaijanis as the Premier League champions ran riot with Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Co also scoring and finding much-needed confidence."But despite all those positive points to note, it was what happened just before the rout commenced that would bug Slot in the coming days: yet another defender pulling up injured."
Paul Joyce of The Times pens: "So difficult has this season become that confirmation they will skip the play-off round next month was seized as something to celebrate for a head coach who has cast doubt on his squad’s ability to negotiate three games in a week.
"When their European campaign resumes in March, Slot will hope the issues that compelled him to field Ryan Gravenberch at centre back, and led to Jeremie Frimpong limping off almost immediately, will have cleared and that a renewed push in the competition is possible."He (Slot) will also hope he is still at the tiller. Liverpool started the night in fourth place, and finished in third, but there was plenty riding on this tie for the Dutchman. Given the prolonged downturn in domestic results, Slot must show signs he can solve the problems 'in both boxes' to which he alluded on the eve of the game, if something positive is to be salvaged."What was emphasised here was given room in which to play, as Qarabag obligingly did, Liverpool can slip through the gears. Were they more inventive and ruthless? Yes. Were they more miserly? Yes. Did they play with intensity, hunting down opponents? At times. Did they entertain the crowd? Yes."
Mike McGrath, over on the The Telegraph, reflects: "After spending more than £400m in the summer, it has been a quiet January for Liverpool but injury to Jeremie Frimpong has deepened their defensive injury crisis and only strengthened the argument for them to enter the transfer market.
"They have a history of an emergency defensive signing at Anfield, with Steven Caulker’s loan coming out of the blue a decade ago. More recently, a shortage of centre-backs led them to move for Preston’s Ben Davies and Schalke’s Ozan Kabak in 2021."Alexis Mac Allister (twice), Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa scored the goals against Qarabag to secure a place in the Champions League last 16, but Arne Slot’s squad are being pushed to the limit. Can they progress further without reinforcements?"
And the ECHO's verdict on a straightforward evening for the Reds reads: "In a season where it's been almost impossible to draw definitive conclusions, it can at least be said that the European game has been much kinder to Arne Slot and his Liverpool players than the Premier League.
"Into the last 16 of the Champions League with plenty to spare, thanks to the biggest victory of the head coach's tenure to date, the Reds look an entirely different proposition to the one under siege from low blocks, long throws and overt physicality on the domestic scene. Fortunately, all of that has been in shorter supply on the continent and it has been much easier for the champions of England to navigate as a result."And while there will certainly be no bombastic claims about what they are able to achieve simply because how hard it has generally been, it would be no surprise if there was a gentle, almost unspoken belief behind the scenes that they could go much further than last year, when they ran into PSG and were beaten on penalties in the last 16."That defeat has rankled with Slot for some time, it still does in fact, and anyone who has taken even a passing interest in his press conferences since will be able to attest to that. So while it remains a dog-fight just for the privilege of playing in this tournament next season, Liverpool's passage into the knockout stages should be cause for some cautious, quiet optimism.
"It might even be that the Champions League proves to be Slot's salvation at the end of the season when it is all said and done."