Liverpool Defeat Lille to Secure Champions League Last 16 Spot

Salah opened the scoring in the 34th minute, expertly lifting Curtis Jones' perfectly weighted through ball over an advancing Lucas Chevalier.

Lille, unbeaten in their previous 21 matches across all competitions, had held Liverpool at bay until then. However, Salah’s goal tilted the momentum firmly in the Reds' favor. The Egyptian star missed another one-on-one opportunity shortly after and narrowly curled an effort past the far post in the second half.

Lille’s hopes took a blow just before halftime when Aissa Mandi received a second yellow card for tripping Luis Diaz. His first booking came after protesting a potential foul on Jonathan David in the lead-up to Liverpool’s opener.

Despite being down to 10 men, Lille stunned the Anfield crowd by equalizing just three minutes later. Jonathan David capitalized on a blocked shot from Hakon Haraldsson, calmly slotting the ball home.

Liverpool quickly regained control as Harvey Elliott restored their lead. A cleared corner fell to him on the edge of the box, and his deflected strike nestled into the bottom corner.

Amid speculation surrounding a potential January transfer, Elliott addressed the rumors post-match, telling Amazon Prime: “I’m not leaving. This is my team, my club. I’m a massive fan, and we’re in a great position this season. I’ve had conversations with the gaffer, but I understand my role. It’d be silly of me to demand starts right now.”

Darwin Nunez, starting after his late heroics against Brentford in the Premier League, had a late goal disallowed for offside following Federico Chiesa's saved effort.

The win extended Liverpool’s flawless record in the revamped Champions League group stage, marking their seventh consecutive victory. As group leaders, they’ll enter the last 16 as seeded favorites, set to face one of the eight play-off winners in March.

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Professional Liverpool get job done

Liverpool's performance against Lille wasn't their most polished under Arne Slot, but it was a professional and clinical win nonetheless.

The Reds struggled to break down Lille's energetic press in the opening 30 minutes and were contained well by their opponents' high-intensity defensive play.

A key moment came when Kostas Tsimikas made a vital tackle on Jonathan David, recovering the ball and exposing Lille's defensive vulnerabilities. With huge gaps appearing in their midfield and defense, Curtis Jones delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Mohamed Salah, who slotted the ball home with ease.

Liverpool had chances to extend their lead, but Jarell Quansah and Alexis Mac Allister both headed set-pieces over the bar, while Darwin Nunez saw a shot saved at the near post.

Lille’s equalizer, a well-taken goal from David, came out of nowhere and was their first shot on target.

Despite their unbeaten run in the last five Champions League matches, Lille couldn't cope with Liverpool's pressure. They did have a late effort from Hakon Haraldsson blocked over the bar, but Liverpool looked more likely to score again than concede.

With progression secured, Liverpool will need just a point from their final game, away at PSV on January 29, to top their group. However, with a busy schedule ahead, including Premier League and FA Cup commitments as well as an EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham, Slot may choose to rotate his squad.

Lille, in 11th place, will at least finish in the play-offs, but they still have a chance to secure a spot in the top eight, which would grant them automatic qualification to the last 16.