Liverpool booked their place in the last 16 with a dominant 6-0 victory over Qarabag FK at Anfield, a result that extended the visitors’ winless run against English opposition and confirmed the Reds’ top-eight finish.
Arne Slot’s side responded well after a weekend setback, despite an early injury to Jeremie Frimpong. The breakthrough arrived in the 15th minute when Alexis Mac Allister forced home a close-range header for his second Champions League goal of the league phase.
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Momentum quickly swung Liverpool’s way. Hugo Ekitike slipped a clever pass into Florian Wirtz, who took one touch before finishing calmly into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Liverpool continued to press before the break, with Andy Robertson firing narrowly over and Mateusz Kochalski denying Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Szoboszlai set up Mohamed Salah for a superb free-kick on the edge of the box, before Liverpool struck twice in four minutes. Ekitike powered through challenges to score a fine solo goal, and Mac Allister added his second from close range.
With the outcome settled, Slot rotated his squad, but the pressure never fully eased. Substitute Federico Chiesa completed the scoring late on from Virgil van Dijk’s pass. Despite the heavy defeat, Qarabag still made history by reaching the Champions League knockout stages.
Haaland Leads City Past Galatasaray
Manchester City also secured a top-eight finish after a controlled 2-0 win over Galatasaray, ending the Turkish side’s unbeaten run against English clubs.
Knowing victory was essential, City started sharply. Jeremy Doku was central to the opener, threading a precise pass through for Erling Haaland, who lifted a composed finish over Ugurcan Cakır. City continued to push, with Nico O’Reilly forcing a strong save as the hosts looked to settle nerves.
The second goal soon followed, again with Doku involved. His cut-back found Rayan Cherki, who set himself before driving a powerful finish beyond Cakır to double City’s lead.
Galatasaray improved after the interval but struggled to create clear chances, aside from a blocked effort from Gabriel Sara. City remained in control, even if Pep Guardiola and his staff kept a close eye on results elsewhere.
Rayan Ait-Nouri went close late on, but a third goal was unnecessary. The final whistle confirmed City’s place in the top eight and spared them a play-off round, while Galatasaray held onto a top-24 spot to progress to the knockouts as an unseeded side.