With both the Liverpool and Leverkusen fans in rowdy mood, a back-and-forth start played out at Anfield with the Reds, fielding Luis Diaz up front, the more dangerous side early on.
Leverkusen set themselves up in a counter-attacking 3-4-3 and it was there that they threatened, looking to isolate Kostas Tsimikas – making back-to-back starts for the first time under Arne Slot – up against right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong.
The first real flashpoint came 10 minutes before half-time, with Diaz drawing a foul on the edge of the box, but Trent Alexander-Arnold was unable to replicate his free-kick heroics for England against goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky’s Finland.
Frimpong had the ball in the net after managing to break free of Tsimikas on Leverkusen’s right, but the goal was rightly ruled out for a handball from the Dutchman in the buildup.
That was it, truly, from a dull first half, with Cody Gakpo ending the first half wasting a promising opportunity as he fired into Hradecky from close range.
The second half began with no changes in personnel but with those watching on hoping for more fireworks on the pitch as Liverpool attacked the Kop.
As two coaches hugely influenced by Pep Guardiola, it should perhaps have been no surprise that Slot’s Liverpool and Alonso’s Leverkusen canceled themselves out in a possession-friendly clash.
Then suddenly, it opened up for the Reds, with Curtis Jones’ sublime through ball finding the run of Diaz, who, one-on-one with Hradecky, took one touch and lifted it over the goalkeeper for 1-0.
And as the Kop roared them on, the events of Saturday replayed themselves as Liverpool scored another within two minutes, with Gakpo heading home Mohamed Salah’s brilliant arrowed cross.
Slot used the lead to freshen things up and preserve key names as Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley, and Darwin Nunez came on for Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, and Gakpo.
The energy and quality remained, with Salah teeing up Diaz for his second of the night with another superb cross that allowed the No. 7 to take a touch and fire in.
Diaz then completed a hattrick as Darwin Nunez fired an effort on goal in a four-on-two counter, with the Colombian pouncing on the rebound to cap a resounding victory.
