Liverpool looked back to their best as they embarrassed lacklustre Rangers at Ibrox.
The Reds fell behind early to a Scott Arfield goal. But from that point on, Liverpool moved through the gears and put seven goals passed their overmatched opponents.
Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah grabbed five goals between them, while Darwin Nunez continued to build his confidence and scored his second goal in as many games.
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The brilliant Brazilian Firmino bagged a brace before his scintillating Samba feet unleashed Darwin Nunez. Salah then feasted himself to a quick-fire a hat-trick to turn Scott Arfield's deadly opener into a distant memory.. Gutted Rangers now need something in both their final two Group A matches to earn a spot in the Europa League playoff round.
There were improvements but the game appeared beyond Rangers once influential defender Connor Goldson hobbled off with a serious thigh injury which left him in crutches. The absence of the Englishman followed a rousing turnaround from the men in red who wiped the floor with Rangers after the break. But it had started so well for Rangers as the improbable appeared realistic. Ryan Kent - set a target by his manager to grab more goals and assists - appeared up for the challenge and his usual jinking and weaving earned him a half-yard inside Joe Gomez but his curling effort cleared Allison's back post.
Rangers' players were left emboldened by their burgeoning start, however, slaloming Harvey Eliiott was heading downhill with increasing regularity and his dinked through ball to Nunez was ingenious and cause panicked before frayed nerves were relived by the offside flag.
But, in truth, the real fear appeared to be emanating from the men in red and it was full blown panic when Arfield fired into the bottom corner. Cue scenes of absolute bedlam. If you thought Klopp looked miffed after the opener then his face dropped furtherafter Gomez' abysmal back pass which almost gift-wrapped a stretching Antonio Colak a second as he stretched to reach it ahead of Allison.
Rangers turned sloppy with Fashion Sakala coughing up the ball before James Tavernier's costly that sparked Liverpool' s leveller. His haywire pass resulted in the corner which Firmino nodded home in front of the skipper. It was a hat-trick of gaffes from the captain as his bonkers pass sparked another Liverpool breakaway.
The hosts regained their swagger before the home fans united to rue the lack of runners as John Lundstram's lobbed ball across the six-yard line went unclaimed. And there was more near-miss drama as jet-heeled Sakala raced past Kostas Tsimakis and his low cross was met by Arfield who watched the sprawling Ibrahima Konate block the shot.
The growing buzz was silenced when Goldson pulled before he made an emotional exit as the Ibrox iron-man's glum expression did little to quell fears over a potential serious injury.
And Goldson's absence after the break was keenly felt as it the hosts who found themselves pinned back but were spared by more wonky finishing from Nunez. But Firmino wasn't as forgiving as he feasted himself to a second after Gomez' inch-perfect pass from the right to catch Goldson's replacement Leon King out.
Nunez then netted before super sub Salah made in four in in two against the men in blue. Sakala's surging breakaway was a singular act of resistance amid a meek collapse on home turf. And Elliot got in on the act after a VAR check ruled in his favour. And that strike led to Ibrox emptying as punters had enough. An absolute mauling
Rangers face a major pick me up after another galling Champions League night.
Here's 5 things we learned from Ibrox...
Ways to go
it was going so well until it wasn't. Rangers competed with Liverpool for the opening 45 minutes before a disastrous second half collapse. Yes, last season's runner-ups are filled with superstars but the increasing mismatch will have made for a brutal watch for those of a Rangers persuasion. Any of the building blocks forged in the Battle of Britain were wiped out with the events of the second half.
Gold standard
Tavernier wears the armband but, in truth, it's always been Goldson who stood out as the undisputed leader of the backline. His qualities, much like Callum McGregor's are more pronounced due to the fact the pair hardly miss a minute. But now Rangers appear to be facing the real possibility of being without the former Brighton man until after the World Cup after being left on crutches. He's the organiser, the moaner and the inspiration both on and off the pitch and that was badly missed after the break. Jack's latest injury only compounded a costly night for van Bronckhorst.
Square one on corners
Rangers' calling card en route to Seville was a robustness which was unmatched by the teams they knocked off en route to the Europa League Final. But they've been beset by a weakness from set plays which the cream of Europe are more than willing to exploit. Yes, the daft passes sent heart rates up in the stands but it was the inability to keep Firmino out which killed the growing momentum after Arfield's opener.
The only Ibrox pause
And it came before kick-off! Rangers were all-in throughout on and off the park but a different strategy to their city rivals was on display. Celtic punters love to Hoop it up when the Champions League anthem blares out, however, Rangers fans bided their time before letting rip with a ferocious wall of noise as the famous strings of Handel's faded. The wild noise faded before the final whistle as punters were left spooked by the one-sided beating in the closing stages.
Code Red
Liverpool have been a bonafide force for the best part of five years but this version of Klopp's 'mentality monsters' looked stunted and a pale imitation of their former self before the break.
Yes, their myriad of injuries are wreaking havoc with squad balance but the German is acutely aware his players currently sounded more like mates in a shed than Metallica in his quest for heavy metal football in the first 45. But the mood music changed after the interval with several starring solos leaving the merry band of Merseysiders in fine voice. Rock on!
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