April 17, 2023, 5:30 PM
April 17, 2023, 5:30 PM
Liverpool thrashed 6-1 on their visit to Leeds on Monday, with braces from Salah and Diogo Jota, a victory that keeps the ‘Reds’ in the fight to play in Europe next season.
After a failed first opportunity by the Spanish-Brazilian Rodrigo Moreno for Leeds (7), Liverpool owned the game and the goals were falling one after another.
The Dutchman Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 35th minute and the Egyptian Mohamed Salah widened the gap before the break (39).
The game seemed to enter a phase of more emotion when the Colombian Luis Fernando Sinisterra reduced the differences for the locals (47), but the Portuguese Diogo Jota soon ended the suspense by scoring the third for the ‘Reds’ (52).
A shot to the crossbar of the American Brenden Aaronson (58) was the last act of resistance for Leeds, who conceded another three goals in the last half hour, scored by Salah (64), Diogo Jota (73) and the Uruguayan Darwin Núñez (90).
With this victory and with eight days to go in the championship, the Liverpool (8th) has 47 points, 9 behind fourth place (Newcastle), qualifying for the next Champions League.
Although the Top-4 seems for now a chimera for Liverpoolit does seem more feasible to place 5th, qualifying for the next Europa League, which Tottenham currently occupies with 53 points and one game more than Liverpool.
In addition to the victory, the other good news for Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp was the reappearance of the Colombian Luis Díazabsent from the pitch due to injury since October, and who played the last 10 minutes.
Leeds, for their part, makes their stay very complicated by remaining with 29 points, only two above the relegation zone.
