Liverpool 6–0 Qarabağ: Statement Win, History Made

Liverpool smash Qarabağ 6-0 at Anfield to seal Round of 16 spot

Liverpool roared back into European gear tonight. On a cold January 28, 2026, they tore through Qarabağ FK 6-0 at Anfield. The scoreline was brutal, but it told the truth. Liverpool were ruthless, sharp, and hungry. The roar felt like spring after a long winter.

The result and the stakes

This was the final Champions League group-stage match. Liverpool needed a show of force, and delivered one. Six goals, six scorers, and a clean sheet. The win locks in direct passage to the Round of 16, so no playoff detours, and a much-needed jolt to the club’s mood.

Anfield fed off every tackle and every sprint. The energy was back, and it looked familiar. The Kop urged the team to press, to swarm, to play on the front foot again. Liverpool obliged.

Goals and key moments

Alexis Mac Allister started and ended the argument. He opened the scoring on 15 minutes, then added a second in the 61st. The first came from smart movement at the edge of the box. The second came from timing, power, and a cool finish. His engine never slowed.

Between those goals, Florian Wirtz glided into the game. On 21 minutes, he shaped his body and bent a calm strike into the far corner. It was a reminder of why Liverpool wanted him so badly. He sees lanes others do not.

Mohamed Salah added the fourth on 50 minutes. It was his first Liverpool goal since November 1. He thumped the badge and stared toward the Kop. It felt like a promise. The touch was sure, the finish crisp, and the grin wide.

Hugo Ekitike, relentless all night, flicked the fifth in the 57th. He stretched the back line, pressed hard, and linked play with pace. Federico Chiesa, off the bench, put the exclamation mark on 90 minutes with a driven strike. That late goal summed up the night. Liverpool never stopped moving.

For Qarabağ, the damage grew early and kept growing. They tried to play, and they have earned that right this season. But they were trapped by Liverpool’s press and punished in transition. Their keeper made several saves just to keep the score from becoming something else.

Tactical edge and player analysis

Arne Slot set a high line and an even higher standard. The midfield was compact, tighter than in recent league games. Mac Allister set the rhythm, quick in the tackle and neat on the ball. Dominik Szoboszlai kept the tempo up. He hit firm passes through the lines and backed it with bites in midfield.

Salah drifted inside, where he is most dangerous. That movement opened space for the right side to overlap. Wirtz played like a free eight, stepping into pockets and pulling markers out of shape. Ekitike ran the channels, and that pace forced Qarabağ to sit deeper than they wanted.

Chiesa’s late burst showed depth that matters in Europe. Fresh legs, direct running, a finish that cut through the noise. Liverpool have had flat spells in the league. Not tonight. The spacing was smart, the passing crisp, and the pressing traps were set early.

Qarabağ stayed brave. They have been a story this season, a team that refuses to back down. They tried to combine down the sides, but lost key duels in the half spaces. Under pressure, their out ball often came back at them. Against a team like this, that is fatal.

What it means, right now

This was a statement win, simple and loud. Liverpool’s European form is a lifeline while the league form stutters. The team looked free and fierce, and the goals came from everywhere.

• Liverpool skip the playoff route and go straight to the Round of 16.
• Salah’s goal resets the mood and his rhythm.
• Mac Allister’s brace underlines his growing control of this midfield.
• Qarabağ take a heavy hit, yet their run keeps its meaning.

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Atmosphere and culture

Anfield felt alive again. The crowd demanded intensity, and the players met it. When Salah scored, the sound rattled the old iron. His badge-thumping celebration said he knows what this club needs from him. It was not just a goal. It was a message.

Credit to the Qarabağ supporters too. They sang through a storm and waved their flags until the end. Their team will wake up sore, but their journey stands. It matters for their club, and for their league. European football can do that. It can stretch the map.

The last word

Liverpool needed a spark. They lit the whole night. Six goals, confidence restored, and Europe still feels like their stage. Qarabağ leave with a painful scoreline, yet a historic step in hand. Both truths can live side by side, and tonight, they did.