A perfect 10 for Liverpool and the perfect night for Jürgen Klopp. His team won Group E with a game to spare to avoid the playoff route into the last 16 of the Europa League and release any pressure from the group finale away at Union Saint-Gilloise. A clean sheet for Caoimhín Kelleher, the 199th goal of Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool career, no injuries and two goals for Cody Gakpo, flourishing on his return to the forward line, ticked the rest of the boxes for a grateful Liverpool manager.
Liverpool’s superiority over their Europa League opponents has not been in doubt, an off-night in Toulouse notwithstanding, and was underlined throughout a comfortable defeat of Lask. A 10th successive victory at Anfield in all competitions this season represents the club’s best start to a home campaign since the double-winning season of 1985-86. Combined with Toulouse’s failure to beat Union SG in France, it secured Liverpool first place in the group with something to spare. Victory looked assured from the moment Luis Díaz headed home in the 12th minute.
