Football

Xabi Alonso's bittersweet return to Anfield ended in a resounding 4-0 defeat for his Bayer Leverkusen side as Liverpool maintained their perfect record in the Champions League. Luis Diaz stole the show with a hat-trick, while Cody Gakpo also found the net for the Reds.Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool as a player, was warmly received by the home crowd despite his decision to remain at Leverkusen. However, his team was outclassed by a rampant Liverpool side that dominated the second half.Arne Slot's tactical masterstroke of moving Diaz into a central role proved decisive. The Colombian opened the scoring with a delightful chip over Lukas Hradecky and added two more goals in the second half. Gakpo's header from Mohamed Salah's cross put the game beyond doubt, and Diaz completed his hat-trick in stoppage time.Despite the heavy defeat, Alonso remained optimistic about Leverkusen's chances of progressing to the knockout stages. "We are in a good position to fight to go through to the next round," he said. "Today it will be tougher to sleep, but we have time to see the positives as well."Liverpool, meanwhile, are almost assured of a place in the last 16 and are closing in on direct progression to the knockout stages. Slot praised his team's performance, saying, "Second half we could adjust the gameplan, we took more risks and we were better with the ball as well."

Arne Slot's Liverpool debut at Anfield was a resounding success, with the Reds securing a 2-0 victory over Brentford. The win propelled Liverpool to the top of the Premier League standings, alongside Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton, as the only teams with maximum points after two games.Slot's tactical approach, expected to be more possession-oriented than Jurgen Klopp's, was evident in flashes during the first half. However, Liverpool's opening goal was a classic Klopp-style counterattack. Diogo Jota's perfectly timed pass found Luis Diaz, who raced through on goal and fired into the top corner.Brentford, despite missing Ivan Toney, posed a threat in the second half. Nathan Collins' header forced a brilliant save from Alisson Becker, while Vitaly Janelt and Mark Flekken also made crucial interventions to deny Liverpool.However, the Reds' attacking prowess proved too much for Brentford. Mohamed Salah, assisted by Diaz, timed his run perfectly to remain onside and dink the ball over Flekken, sealing the victory.Slot praised his team's performance, acknowledging that they still have much to prove against top-six opposition. He also noted that Brentford's energy levels waned in the second half, allowing Liverpool to exploit the gaps.The crowd serenaded Slot with chants of his name, a testament to the positive early impression he has made. Despite concerns about the lack of new signings, Liverpool appear well-positioned to challenge Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League title.