Liverpool
Luis Diaz scored a stunning hat-trick to lead Liverpool to a dominant 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield on Tuesday night, keeping their perfect record in the Champions League intact. The Reds earned all three points in a second-half surge, taking their tally to 12 points from four group-stage matches.
The match started slowly with few chances, but Diaz broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, calmly lifting the ball over Leverkusen goalkeeper Hradecky. Cody Gakpo doubled Liverpool’s lead soon after with a diving header, initially ruled offside but confirmed by VAR.
Leverkusen, managed by former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso, struggled to create clear opportunities. They had a penalty appeal turned down early on and saw a goal by Frimpong ruled out for a handball before halftime. In the second half, Liverpool took full control, with Gakpo and Diaz combining to seal the win. Diaz made it 3-0 with a close-range finish from Mohamed Salah’s cross.
Kelleher made several important saves to keep the clean sheet intact, and in stoppage time, Diaz completed his hat-trick, converting a rebound after Darwin Núñez’s shot was blocked on a counter-attack.
The result handed Leverkusen their first away loss in 18 months and ensured Liverpool’s perfect start to the group stage.
