Match reportLuis Diaz hits hat-trick as Liverpool beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in Champions League

A second-half flurry of goals on Tuesday night saw the Reds overcome Xabi Alonso's Bundesliga champions to take 12 points from their opening four matches in the league phase.

Diaz opened the game's scoring in the 61st minute and completed it in stoppage time, with Cody Gakpo also on the scoresheet by heading in the hosts' second of the evening.

Team news

Diaz and Curtis Jones were brought in as the only alterations to the XI that defeated Brighton & Hove Albion the previous weekend.

Kelleher, Van Dijk, Konate (Quansah, 88), Diaz, Mac Allister, Salah, Jones (Szoboszlai, 73), Gakpo (Nunez, 80), Tsimikas (Robertson, 80), Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold (Bradley, 80).

Unused subs: Jaros, Davies, Gomez, Endo, Morton.

First half

Although fireworks were going off outside the ground on Bonfire Night, there were very few explosions of action during a cagey start – aside from a few half-chances for both teams.

Indeed, Jones and Edmond Tapsoba had daisy-cutters easily saved by the opposing goalkeeper.

Leverkusen's appeal for a penalty for a Virgil van Dijk challenge on Jeremie Frimpong was turned down before Victor Boniface fired wide from a tight angle under pressure from the tracking Trent Alexander-Arnold.

In signs the game was opening up somewhat, Liverpool broke well after clearing a free-kick from the visitors but the swift move ended with Mohamed Salah firing straight at Lukas Hradecky.

And the ball was in the net just prior to the interval. Frimpong raced through on goal and swept past Caoimhin Kelleher, though the whistle went immediately to chalk the goal off due to an attacking handball.

Gakpo then tested Hradecky in the final opportunity of an unremarkable opening 45 minutes.

Second half

The Reds were seeing more of the ball after the break and looked far more threatening as a result.

Jones side-footed over from inside the box ahead of Salah getting his finish all wrong after terrific build-up play by Ryan Gravenberch.

But they would make the most of their next pair of chances around the hour mark.

Jones received in between lines and threaded a perfect pass to find Diaz's run into the box, with the Colombian calmly lifting the ball over Hradecky.

The hosts' one-goal advantage became two very soon after with Gakpo's diving header at the back post. The flag had been raised to signal the goalscorer was offside when Salah fired the cross in – but VAR overturned the on-field decision, much to Anfield's delight.

Boniface headed wide in Leverkusen's best chance to halve the deficit, though they had Hradecky to thank when he palmed away an effort from Alexis Mac Allister.

Liverpool were looking to add to their lead and the third goal came seven minutes before the end, Diaz bringing down Salah's delivery into the box and nudging home from close range.

Kelleher ensured his side would leave with a clean sheet following three excellent saves, and Diaz ended up securing the match ball in the second minute of added time.

The No.7 was alert to convert the rebound of a Darwin Nunez blocked shot after the substitute had led the way on a counter-attack.

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