Liverpool shrugged off their Premier League malaise to storm into the Champions League quarter-finals by thrashing Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield on Tuesday.
Objectives from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit for Arne Slot’s males to arrange a reunion with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain within the final eight.
“We may (have) gained 10-0, however we did a very good job. We might be proud,” stated Ekitike.
Slot wanted a response from the English champions after they had been booed off at Anfield on Sunday for the most recent in a sequence of lacklustre shows in a 1-1 draw in opposition to struggling Tottenham.
Languishing fifth within the Premier League, the Champions League may save Liverpool’s season and Slot’s job.
The Dutchman had given a relaxation to a few of his stars on the weekend and was rewarded with a dominant show that would have resulted in a much more complete scoreline.
Galatasaray’s hopes of inflicting an upset was dealt an enormous blow inside the primary jiffy when star striker Victor Osimhen injured his forearm in a conflict with Ibrahima Konate.
The Nigerian worldwide was clearly hobbled as he continued on till half-time earlier than being changed by Leroy Sane.
By that time the Turkish champions’ benefit had already been erased.
Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s excellent performer in a troubled season and levelled the tie with a cushioned end from a well-worked nook on 25 minutes.
Galatasaray by some means escaped additional punishment earlier than the break.
Salah missed an excellent probability to right away double the Reds’ lead when he didn’t chip Ugurcan Cakır.
Florian Wirtz’s deflected effort flew simply over and Cakır repelled one other candy Szoboszlai strike.
The Turkey goalkeeper then saved Salah’s poor penalty after Szoboszlai was upended contained in the field.
However the floodgates opened on the guests within the second half.
Salah atoned for the penalty miss with a inch-perfect go for Ekitike to fit dwelling.
Two minutes later Gravenberch fired within the rebound after Salah’s preliminary shot was saved.
Salah has been a shadow of his former self this season, both facet of a public bust-up with Slot after being dropped in December.
He may and may have had many extra on the evening, however did register his fiftieth Champions League objective in some model with a spectacular strike from Wirtz’s backheel.
50 – Mohamed Salah has scored his fiftieth UEFA Champions League objective – he’s the primary African participant to hit that landmark. King. pic.twitter.com/Elnf7hIHoO
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 18, 2026
“He’s a legend,” Ekitike stated of Salah. “It is clear that some individuals generally say he had a tricky season, however tonight he acquired loads of alternatives, however nonetheless saved the mindset to present me an excellent ball. I am so completely satisfied for him; he deserves it.”
Salah additionally hit the bar earlier than asking to get replaced with an damage concern as Galatasaray provided little resistence to the waves of Liverpool assault.
The Reds face a really totally different problem in opposition to PSG, who crushed Chelsea 8-2 on combination to succeed in the final eight.
Slot has repeatedly spoken in glowing phrases of the French champions.
Liverpool got here as shut as anybody to stopping PSG final season as Luis Enrique’s males emerged victorious on penalties within the final 16 after a titanic tussle.
