Liverpool 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen: Player ratings as Luis Diaz treble sours Xabi Alonso’s homecoming

Liverpool extended their perfect start in the Champions League as they claimed a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.

Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso was given a warm welcome on his return in the opposition dugout, but his side were shown no mercy.

After a cagey opening 45 minutes, the hosts ran away with things in the second, Luis Diaz grabbing a hat-trick while Cody Gakpo also netted.

How the game unfolded

The visitors then produced a response, Victor Boniface driving into the side-netting before Jeremie Frimpong went down under pressure claiming a penalty.

However, the thrills quickly gave way to a cagey tactical battle that saw few opportunities of any real quality for much of the remainder of the half.

And that pattern was only broken when Frimpong drove home a strike that was disallowed for handball in the build-up before Gakpo again tested Lukas Hradecky with the last action of the half.

The second half started in much the same fashion until, just before the hour mark, Ryan Gravenberch slalomed through the Leverkusen midfield to tee up Mohamed Salah for a horribly miscued effort.

But that chance only seemed to energise Liverpool, who began ramping up the pressure before breaking the deadlock as Jones played a beautifully weighted pass through for Diaz to impudently dink over Hradecky.

That saw the Anfield atmosphere go into overdrive and, as had been the case against Brighton on Saturday, the Reds capitalised by quickly grabbing a second.

Gakpo was made to wait to celebrate after heading home Salah's first-time cross from the right-hand side, but a VAR check eventually confirmed that he had not strayed offside.

Liverpool were unfortunate not to add another when Trent Alexander-Arnold drove just over after Leverkusen had desperately cleared to the edge of the box shortly after.

But they eventually did get their third, Diaz turning home another from close range after Salah's cross had dropped to him inside the box.

In fact, there was still time for a fourth, which saw Diaz seal his hat-trick after the ball had fallen somewhat fortuitously in the box.

Liverpool player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Caoimhin Kelleher - 7/10 - Had very little to do even during a more balanced first half but showed his class with two quick-fire saves in the second.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold - 6/10 - Got an unusual amount of shots away for a right-back but his most notable contributions were in defence.

CB: Ibrahima Konate - 7/10 - The Frenchman's battle with Victor Boniface was fun watch and it would be fair to say he won it convincingly.

CB: Virgil van Dijk - 7/10 - As difficult to beat as ever and some his long passing really caught the eye.

LB: Kostas Tsimikas - 7/10 - The only time Jeremie Frimpong managed to beat him was when he hand-balled one before a disallowed goal. Surely Liverpool's first-choice left-back now.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch - 7/10 - Won his battles in midfield and rarely gave the ball away. Liverpool fans are becoming used to these performances.

DM: Alexis Mac Allister - 6/10 - Not quite at the level of his midfield colleagues but he worked as hard as anyone to give Liverpool a platform.

AM: Curtis Jones - 8/10 - Broke the game with his delicious pass to set up Luis Diaz having been hugely influential in and out of possession all night.

RW: Mohamed Salah - 8/10 - The Egyptian's wait for a 50th Champions League goal goes on but he was brilliant in clocking up two assists.

CF: Cody Gakpo - 7/10 - Extended his fine run of form in scoring again and was a menace down the left-hand side all night.

LW: Luis Diaz - 9/10 - Took to the role of centre-forward like a duck to water, bagging a hat-trick with three composed finishes to top a fine performance.

Substitutes

SUB: Dominik Szoboszlai (73 for Jones) - 6/10

SUB: Darwin Nunez (80 for Gakpo) - 6/10

SUB: Andy Robertson (80 for Tsimikas) - 6/10

SUB: Conor Bradley (81 for Alexander-Arnold) - 6/10

SUB: Jarell Quansah (88 for Konate)

Subs not used: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Morton.

Manager

Arne Slot - 8/10 - The first half may have been low-key but this was a demolition of an excellent Bayer Leverkusen side.

Player of the match: Luis Diaz (Liverpool)

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