Liverpool four possible UCL last 16 opponents after thrashing Qarabag

LIVERPOOL 6-0 QARABAG: Arne Slot's side book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League by hammering their Azerbaijani opponents to finish third in the group stage

Liverpool booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comfortable win over Qarabag at Anfield on Wednesday night. Two goals from Alexis Mac Allister and one each for Florian Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa ensured a third-place finish in the table and a direct passage to the knockout stages, without the need for a play-off.

Arne Slot's side came into the game knowing they needed to win in order to be sure of their place in the top eight - and their bye to the last 16. And although they suffered a blow by losing Jeremie Frimpong to injury in the opening stages, it was a straightforward night on the pitch.

Mac Allister put them ahead in the 15th minute when he forced home a corner at the back post, with goal line technology confirming his header had crossed the line before goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski clawed it out. It was 2-0 six minutes later when Ekitike danced through the defence and teed up Wirtz to fire into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Cody Gakpo saw a header saved by Kochalski, but Salah curled in a free-kick following a little touch from Dominik Szoboszlai straight after half-time to remove any doubt about the result. Ekitike latched onto a Virgil van Dijk clearance to race away and make it 4-0 before Mac Allister rounded the keeper to bag another.

Chiesa came off the bench to score his first goal since September and cap off a perfect night for Liverpool. Victory was Liverpool's sixth from their eight games and secured third place in the table, below Arsenal, who won all eight of their games, and Bayern Munich. It means a guaranteed place in the last 16, while the teams who finished ninth to 24th go into two-legged play-offs.

The Reds will take a well-earned break before facing the team who finished 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th, depending on which comes through the play-off and the way the draw goes.

That means a tie against Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge or Galatasaray. Juve finished 13th after a 0-0 draw with Monaco, while Atleti came 14th after losing 2-1 at home to Bodo/Glimt. Brugge ended with a 3-0 win over Marseille and Galatasaray were beaten 2-0 away by Manchester City.

Liverpool have suffered defeats by Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven, but have beaten Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Inter Milan, Marseille and Qarabag to make it through comfortably, much like last season when they won seven of eight in the group stage.

Liverpool certainly came good on the pre-match words of captain Van Dijk. "We know what is at stake tonight, and it is up to us as a team to deliver the result – and the performance – that we need to secure our place in the Champions League last 16," he said in the programme.

"We have worked extremely hard to put ourselves in this position, beating some very good teams during the league phase, but we need to finish the job now."