Liverpool face tough Champions League draw as round of 16 opponents identified
Liverpool booked their place in the last-16 of the Champions League in emphatic fashion as they dispatched Qarabag - but a big team could be waiting in the next round
Liverpool are through to the Champions League round of 16 after thrashing Qarabag 6-0 in an Anfield mauling. However, that does not guarantee easy progress into the quarter-finals, with a potential tricky clash against Juventus or Atletico Madrid looming.
The Reds navigated their way past tough competition to cement their place in the top eight in the League Phase and automatically qualify for the knockout rounds, having finished third. As a result, Liverpool will avoid a two-legged playoff wedged into their busy February complement with showdowns against Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion already pencilled in.
Alexis Mac Allister got the scoring underway when he was on hand to steer a header home after a clever free-kick routine from the Reds. The Argentine needed goalline technology for the goal to stand after the best efforts from the visiting defence looked to clear the danger off the line.
Florian Wirtz's first Champions League goal for the club was more cut and dry as the German slid the ball home. The summer arrival continues his superb run of form as he begins to come into his own after coming under the microscope since joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
Mohamed Salah was back amongst the goals after making it 3-0 shortly after the break. Dominik Szoboszlai turned provider after his free-kick on Saturday as he deftly backheeled a free-kick to the Egyptian.
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Hugo Ekitike made it four on the hour mark as he completed an incisive breakaway. The Frenchman was first to a Virgil van Dijk clearance before finishing well one-on-one. Just four minutes later, Mac Allister had his second of the night as he rounded the Qarabag goalkeeper to slot home a fifth and in stoppage time, Federico Chiesa made it six.
As a result, Liverpool will play one of Club Brugge, Galatasaray, Juventus or Atletico Madrid in the last-16 in March.
With Liverpool finishing in the top eight, they and seven others will be automatically placed into the round of 16 draw, with the fixtures set to take place in March. The Reds were dumped out of the competition at that stage last season, as they were knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG had to claim their first European success the long, hard way after being pitted against fellow Ligue 1 side Brest in the first knockout round before coasting through the latter stages.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich secured qualification for the round of 16 going into Wednesday's round of fixtures, while Liverpool needed to avoid defeat to rubber-stamp their place, having already qualified for the knockouts ahead of last week's 3-0 win over Marseille.
While the Reds comfortably booked their place in the draw for March's last-16, there was a battle to break into the top eight, and at the other end, European clubs were striving for the qualification for the playoffs via the trap door.
The teams between ninth and 16th are seeded in the playoff stages, while 17th to 24th are unseeded. The playoff draw is much simpler: 15th and 16th take on unseeded teams 17th and 18th, respectively.
Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona and Chelsea joined Liverpool in the top eight, which included five English teams in total with Newcastle the only one to miss out. In an enthralling end to the group phase, record champions Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain slipped into the playoff places, meaning they face a two-legged knockout to reach the round of 16.
