LIVERPOOL 3, MAN CITY 0
Manchester City face a Herculean challenge if they are to advance to the semi finals of the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s side came up short as it was swept aside at Liverpool in the first leg of their last-eight tie.
City were destroyed in the opening half by a whirlwind by City who established a 3-0 lead inside 31 minutes through goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane.
But unlike the league game in mid-January, when Liverpool were 4-1 ahead with six minutes left and were hanging ont to a 4-3 advantage at the death, Jurgen Klopp’s side could not be faulted this time as their game management was exemplary.
And the only blemishes on the night were the attack on the City team bus as it approached Anfield as it was badly damaged, an injury to Salah and loss of Jordan Henderson for the return through suspension.
Guardiola, who refused to use the coach incident as a reason for the loss, said: “We must convince ourselves that in six days’ time we can win. Anything can happen in football.
“I believe a lot in my team and they have shown me a lot of good things this season.
“We have 90 minutes more to try but it is complicated as Liverpool is a top, top team.”
Guardiola thought, apart from a 10-minute spell in the opening period when they conceded two goals, it was not a not a bad performance.
He explained: “We started well. In the last 10 minutes of the first half and second half we were good without creating many chances.
“Liverpool didn’t create chances, but it was 3-0 and congratulations to Liverpool who were clinical and precise. We will see what happens next week.”
Klopp, who described City as the best team in the world, added it is only half time as the game will last around 190 minutes adding it will be a difficult game in the return.
He said: “We aren’t through and we will have to work like hell in the second game when it won’t be easy. We cannot celebrate a party at this moment.
“We scored three fantastic goals and the result is the most important thing.
“There were two very different halves. I didn’t expect a perfect performances, but 3-0 is better than a 3-0 defeat.
“City didn’t play badly, but they didn’t create their usual number of chances and we defended outstandingly.
“They didn’t have a shot on target which is crazy. That doesn’t happen often.”
City, still without the injured Sergio Aguero, preferred Ilkay Gundogan to Raheem Sterling who was spared another hostile reception on his return to Anfield.
Liverpool had Dejan Lovren replacing the injured Joel Matip while Oxlade-Chamberlain got the nod over Georginio Wijnaldum in midfield.
City scored a victory even before kick off when Vincent Kompany won the toss, forcing Liverpool to attack the Kop in the opening period.
And City fans taunted their opponents chanting they lived in the past, just like United.
But it was Liverpool who made the breakthrough in the 12th minute, and inevitably it was by Salah who began and finished the move.
Salah began it on the right, released Roberto Firmino whose weak shot was saved by Ederson Moraes. Kyle Walker failed to clear the danger and Salah was on hand to score his 38th goal of the season.
City responded as Leroy Sane fired narrowly wide after a forward burst.
But Liverpool doubled their lead in the 21st minute through a terrific 25-yard drive from Oxlade-Chamberlain which arrowed high past Ederson.
And just after half an hour it was 3-0 as the rampant Reds found the net again.
This time Salah provided the assist with a cross from the right – after he had given stand-in left-back Aymeric Laporte the run around – as Sane was free to head home.
Liverpool came close to a fourth goal in stoppage time when Virgil Van Dijk’s header flashed narrowly wide from Salah’s free kick.
Guardiola resisted the temptation to make changes at the break, but had substitutes warming up straight from the restart.
Liverpool suffered their first setback of the night in the 52nd minute when Salah was forced off through injury to be replaced by Wijnaldum.
City made their first change in the 57th minute to almighty jeers as Sterling replaced Gundogan as they looked for new attacking ideas.
Liverpool lacked the intensity of the opening half as City became more of a threat for the first time.
In need of fresh legs, Klopp brought on Dominic Solanke for Firmino with 20 minutes left.
City had the ball in the net with five minutes left, but Gabriel Jesus had strayed offside.
Liverpool made their last change when Alberto Moreno replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain.
There was a blow for Liverpool when Henderson was booked, ruling him out of the second leg.
But that didn’t take the shine off a near-perfect night for Liverpool as City have a massive amount to do to retrieve this quarter final.