People who watched tonight‘s game between Liverpool and Leverkusen over the TV screen had an option to turn to another channel and some of them even did that at halftime, since the game, up until that point was more than boring. After all, Real was losing in Madrid and Sporting was beating Manchester City, so why stay and watch Leverkusen and Liverpool cancelling each other out? Whoever did that, made a huge mistake, since he missed four goals in the second half and Luis Diaz‘s hat-trick. Thankfully, football still has gifted players capable of deciding a match with a single move, as Liverpool did against Bayer Leverkusen, remaining Champions League group leaders after four rounds with a commanding 4-0 win.For two-thirds of the match, the game of football resembled that of a chess game, where pawns were front and center, protecting the king and queen so that the rooks couldn’t make a mark. The key sequence at Anfield unfolded in two minutes and just a few moves, each more aesthetically pleasing than the last. Curtis Jones’ pass to Luis Díaz, the Colombian’s bold chip to nearly lob Lukas Hradecky from only two meters, Salah’s sharp cross, or Cody Gakpo’s acrobatics and ability to stay onside—it was hard to say which was the most impressive.Jones’ pass hinted at an extraordinary sports mind, Díaz’s finish evoked his days chasing balls on the dusty streets of Caracas, with that same sporting audacity still in his boots. Salah’s cross showcased his unselfishness, contrary to his sometimes unwarranted criticism, and when Gakpo leaped through the air, it was a testament to his sacrifice for team success. If you loved Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool for its heavy-metal football, you might, at least, come to appreciate (before falling for) Arne Slot’s Liverpool, which regularly finds a way to prove itself superior to its rivals. Here’s the evidence: this was their 16th game in all competitions this season, and their 14th win. Last weekend, they overturned Brighton in just two minutes, and now, goals propelled the English giant past Bayer’s tough team. For a moment, Slot’s side looked like Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen from last season: no matter how they play, you know they’ll win. Only now, fans didn’t have to wait until stoppage time, as Salah’s second assist gave Díaz another goal, followed by a third in the 90th minute, marking the Colombian’s first hat-trick since arriving in England and Liverpool’s most emphatic Champions League win yet.And in the Champions League, the team that wowed the continent last year suffered its first defeat, though things might have gone differently had Frimpong’s goal not been disallowed due to a handball. However, given how Liverpool controlled the match, this seemed like only an optical illusion, as aside from a late first-half attempt, the German side did little of note. This performance underscored how Liverpool is playing: in 360 minutes of Champions League football, they’ve conceded just one goal.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – ROUND 4TuesdayPSV – Girona 4-0 (2-0)/Flamingo 16, Tillman 33, Bakayoko 83, Krejci 88 og/Slovan B. – Dinamo Zagreb 1-4 (1-2)/Strelec 5 – Spikic 10, Sucic 30, Kulenovic 54,72/Bologna – Monaco 0-1 (0-0)/Keher 86/Celtic – RB Leipzig 3-1 (2-1)/Kuhn 35, 45+1, Hatate 72 – Baumgartner 23/Dortmund – Sturm 1-0 (0-0)/Malen 85/Lille – Juventus 1-1 (1-0)/Davic 27 – Vlahovic 60 pen/Liverpool – Leverkusen 4-0 (0-0)/Diaz 61,63, 81, Gakpo 63/Real Madrid – Milan 1-2 (1-2)/Vinicius Jr 23 pen – Thiaw 12, Morata 39/Sporting – Manchester City 3-1 (1-1)/Gyokeres 38, 49 pen, Araujo 46 – Foden 4/Wednesday20:45: (3.50) Club Brugge (3.45) Aston Villa (2.10)20:45: (2.05) Shakhtar (3.45) Young Boys (3.60)23:00: (1.35) Bayern (5.80) Benfica (9.00)23:00: (18.0) Crvena Zvezda (7.20) Barcelona (1.20)23:00: (1.60) Feyenoord (4.00) Salzburg (5.70)23:00: (2.65) Inter (3.35) Arsenal (2.85)23:00: (1.73) PSG (3.75) Atl.Madrid (4.80)23:00: (2.45) Sparta Praha (3.35) Brest (2.90)23:00: (2.45) Stuttgart (3.75) Atalanta (2.85)***odds are subject to change***
