LFC Forever 2017/18

Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moscow

Earlier the 19s Gerard's u19s got through their Spartak Moscow game with a 2-0 win. I followed the Liverpool Echo feed, those two goals came pretty quickly then the keeper had to make a few saves and it's all good with them more than qualified for the next round. Or it was until Brewster was racially abused by another player at the end. Maybe UEFA will treat it more seriously than they did in the reverse fixture when fans did chants at Adekanye. I don't know what to say other than give big love to Adekanye andBrewster.

That incident and reading about all the different outcomes that could've dumped us in the Europa League (instead of topping our Champion's League group) made me really not want to watch this match.

Onto it though...

MotM- Phillipe Coutinho

(Captain, hat trick, say no more.)

Much less of a throw of the dice with the team sheet tonight. The you'll never walk alone at the start was phenomenal, European nights at Anfield have a reputation for a reason.

Just going to get the issues I had out the way before I get the good stuff. Saw an article about Can and Moreno needing to keep away from yellow cards or they'll be suspended and joked they will definitely get them. It took Can five minutes and was lucky it wasn't a red, what was he doing?! And Morneo, he got injured putting his leg on the line, he did great and it was awful seeing him go off so upset. Karius, why the hell did he run out the penalty box at that player when Gomez completely had it covered?! He makes some stupid decisions and now we're through the group can we be through with him?

We scored a penalty! Salah was brought down in the box as a ball flew over him and the two Spartak players. Captain Coutinho stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way beginning the long night for him and Spartak. At five minutes it was Liverpool's fastest goal in a Champions League match at Anfield.

Karius gets to stop a shot before the next one.

Mane with a great ball to Salah, he lays it off to Firmino who pulls the ball back for Coutinho to slide it home.Unbelievable how well that unit of four worked tonight.

Minutes later it's Firmino's turn. Mane ran down the right, chipped the ball into the box, it bounced off a Spartak defender and fell right to the feet of Firmino. He had no choice but to blast it into the back of the net. If not they'd've had to have sent that Spartak player off for handball. He was just being kind.

I've gone from sat shaking at the idea of being sent to the Europa league to being sat smug, waiting for our next chance to pounce. Three nil in twenty minutes. We're gonna wake up aren't we and kick off is yet to come? They had shots and a corner or two but they didn't worry me in the slightest which was strange.

Milner took over as rightful captain for the second half, best let Coutinho get on with scoring/ setting up goals, less game management. Although, he was clearly on for a reason. He sent a cross over to the back post where Mane absolutely hammered an acrobatic volley into the back of the net. Amazing. Mane had been desperate to join in with the goals before that, hitting the bar and the side netting first.

Four nil, we're pretty safely through. I started thinking I'm so glad we're not someone like Man United cos they'd have probably gotten two and spent the rest of the time defending like posts, we can't do that, we don't know how and I don't mean that as a critisism, not after tonight! I am thinking sub everyone (well 2 players) off and relax a little cos of the next game though.

Two minutes later Milner's back again. This time plays the ball to the edge of the box where Coutinho runs on to it, skips inside the area and his shot is deflected past a helpless goalkeeper and in. I could not believe that ball made it's way into the goal. It should've been deflected that bit wider or enough weight off it that the keeper gets it no problem but everything aligned tonight. Klopp didn't believe it either, his cheer was so subdued cos it was so long between the kick and it crossing the line (or maybe he's learnt his lesson from upsetting Brighton's manager, doubt it). It was like time slowed down a bit.

We just can't stop ourselves with the quick succession goals lately, can we?

Dejan Lovren is replaced by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Not the change I had in mind. That sounds like more attack to me! Then Sturridge replaced Firmino. Again we're not intending on slowing down are we?! It's always exciting to get to see Sturridge play though.

Spartak danger man Promes (another of Dad's we were gonna sign him players, I swear we've almost signed every single player according to him!) had a wide shot and went off.

Dad tried not to go as long as possible but he had to go, this time to work. Second match in a row someone scores just after he left. It was Mane. It started with Salah to Sturridge. He played it to Mane who managed topoke the ball home despite the pass being behind him.

Sturridge chests the ball round the goalkeeper, is pushed over, gets nothing. You can't really scream for a penalty six nil up and very securely top of your CL group can you? But as the commentators pointed out the rules are the same whether it's nil nil or what so they should be applied the same. There was another shot too. We could've been on our way to matching our previous record eight.

One last one did make it though. Milner heads Can's ball across goal, Salah twists and turns near the six yard box before blasting the ball high into the back of the net. Salah's got his goal too! That's the fab four complete set again!

Absolutely amazing match. Amazing, beautiful goals. Real poetry in motion. It's so hard to believe what my eyes are seeing. All I can say is keep tweaking Jurgen. You told us to believe...

We finished with a goal difference of 17. Can you believe that?! Two, seven goal matches in one group stage. We either ran riot or drew, it's so mad. 23 goals that's the record for an "English" club in Europe, 2nd highest ever.

The draw will be on Monday.

Next up, it's the Merseyside Derby, it's Everton. Sunday 10th December 2017.

Speaking of Everton. The FA cup. What a draw?! Who's excited for that?!

I am, I am SO excited. I almost cried when I thought I was going to miss the league one and now we've been rewarded with two of them like a month apart!