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What Liverpool needs to do to go to the Champions League knockout stage before facing Real Madrid

Liverpool moved closer to qualifying for the Champions League knockout rounds after Arne Slot’s team handily defeated Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen 4-0.

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by Oscar Maung-Haley

11:37 on November 6, 2024

In the UEFA Champions League 2024–2025 League Phase, Cody Gakpo of Liverpool celebrates with his teammates after scoring the second goal for his club.

Liverpool is unbeaten in Europe this season (Image: Getty).

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Arne Slot’s Liverpool advanced to the Champions League knockout stages following a 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield.

Despite the score being 0-0 at the time, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz’s goals helped Liverpool dominate the second half and upset the Bundesliga champions. Liverpool also kept up their winning streak in Europe this season.

In the Champions League thus far this season, Liverpool has triumphed over AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig, and now Bayer Leverkusen. On November 27, Real Madrid will go to Anfield to play the Reds in their upcoming European fixture. Liverpool is at the top of the new Champions League standings after four games. The Reds’ opponents this weekend, Aston Villa, are the only team in the competition with a perfect record.

Four things to think about following Liverpool’s victory over Bayer Leverkusen

Player ratings and the winners and losers from Liverpool’s triumph over Leverkusen

The teams ranked ninth through twenty-fourth will participate in a knockout round play-off, while the top eight clubs in the new league structure go straight to the round of 16. Unless they have an awful run of results in their next four games, it seems likely that the Reds will at least go to the Champions League play-offs knockout stage.

However, considering Real Madrid is Liverpool’s next Champions League opponent, another win should all but ensure the Reds’ place in the top eight. After losing 3-1 to AC Milan at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, the defending champions fell to 17th place.

Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid had a horrible Tuesday night (Photo: Getty).

They have lost to Lille of Ligue 1 and won 3-1 and 5-2 against Stuttgart and Dortmund, respectively. They have two victories and two defeats. If Liverpool defeats the Spanish powerhouses later this month, they might make another statement in the Champions League this season. Since Kylian Mbappe’s arrival, Carlo Ancelotti’s team hasn’t really connected, and Real Madrid has struggled tactically to include the Frenchman in the same squad as Vinicius Junior.

“It looks like Liverpool’s campaign is going to be a memorable one,” writes Liverpool.com, despite the fact that the 2024–25 season is just 25% finished. Under the lights of Anfield on Tuesday night, they thrashed Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, defeating the Bundesliga winners by four goals to maintain their perfect European record. If Carlo Ancelotti’s club is still struggling to find a plan that brings out the best in their players, the Reds may go on the rampage again. On November 27, they will play their first match in Europe when they host Real Madrid at Anfield.

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Champions League action: Man City is crushed by Sporting

ESPN

5 November 2024 at 10:42 p.m.

Welcome to the fourth matchday of the Champions League season for 2024–25! Tuesday marks the return of Europe’s top club competition in its new format, with nine games throughout the continent that promise drama, elite talent, and thrilling matchups.

Watch the play-by-play of every match, including Manchester City vs. Sporting CP, Liverpool vs. Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid vs. AC Milan.