Leeds United 1-6 Liverpool: Reds keep European hopes alive with dominant victory

Game is over and the final score is Leeds United 1-6 Liverpool. Here is the match report.

Match Report

Liverpool kept their faint Champions League hopes alive with a 6-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp's side, hoping to spark a late push for an unlikely top-four finish, had failed to score against a bottom-six side in their last six attempts, but there was no danger of history repeating itself after racing into a two-goal lead before the game's halfway point.

Doubles from Mo Salah and Diogo Jota helped them move to within three points of sixth-placed Aston Villa, while Leeds remain just two points above the relegation places having shipped 11 goals in two home games.

There was an element of controversy about Liverpool's opener, with creator Trent Alexander-Arnold appearing to use an arm to control the ball in the preamble, but VAR declined to intervene as the full-back laid the ball on a plate for Cody Gakpo to tap home at the back post (35).

Salah, scoring his eighth goal in six appearances against Leeds, then collected Jota's incisive pass, using clever movement to escape the clutches of Pascal Struijk, before rifling emphatically beyond a helpless Illan Meslier (39).

Luis Sinisterra netted what turned out to be merely a consolation shortly after the interval (47), paving the way for a second-half Liverpool onslaught, which was spearheaded by the brilliance of Salah.

The Egyptian scored a majestic fourth (64) shortly after Jota netted his first goal in over a year (52), with the Portuguese forward adding a second to his personal tally in the 73rd minute.

Liverpool wrapped up a stylish performance with a concluding goal in the 90th minute when Alexander-Arnold played in substitute Darwin Nunez, who finished neatly for his sixth Premier League strike of the campaign.

It was Liverpool's first win in all competitions since they thrashed Manchester United 7-0 in early March, while Leeds' survival hopes were dealt another big blow as they slumped to heavy back-to-back home defeats.

More to follow...

What's next?

Leeds face a trip to Fulham on Saturday April 22: kick-off 12.30pm. Meanwhile, Liverpool host Nottingham Forest, also on Saturday April 22; kick-off 3pm.

Leeds United's remaining fixtures

April 22: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm

April 25: Leicester City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm

April 30: Bournemouth (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm

May 7: Man City (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports

May 13: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm

May 20: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm

May 28: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm

Liverpool's remaining fixtures…

April 22: Nottingham Forest (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm

April 26: West Ham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm

April 30: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports

May 3: Fulham (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm

May 6: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

May 13: Leicester (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm

May 20: Aston Villa (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm

May 28: Southampton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

24' CLOSE! Rodrigo misses a great chance!

31' Aaronson fires his shot into the sky

35' GOAL! Leeds United 0-1 Liverpool (Cody Gakpo)

39' GOAL! Leeds United 0-2 Liverpool (Salah)

42' Yellow Card! Fabinho booked

47' GOAL! Leeds United 1-2 Liverpool (Luis Sinisterra)

52' GOAL! Leeds United 1-3 Liverpool (Jota)

61' OFFSIDE! Salah’s goal disallowed

64' GOAL! Leeds United 1-4 Liverpool (Salah)

71' Jota fires his shot into the sky

73' GOAL! Leeds United 1-5 Liverpool (Jota)

90' GOAL! Leeds United 1-6 Liverpool (Darwin Núñez)

Line-ups

Leeds United XI: Rodrigo, Koch, Roca, Firpo, Rasmus Kristensen, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Pascal Struijk, Illan Meslier, McKennie, Brenden Aaronson

Subs: Liam Cooper, Robles, Adam Forshaw, Ayling, Maximilian Wöber, Sam Greenwood, Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto

Liverpool XI: Henderson, Alisson, Salah, Van Dijk, Fabinho, Robertson, Jota, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones

Subs: Milner, Thiago, Matip, Firmino, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Elliott