Champions League: All 5 English teams go through to last 16

Champions League Last 16 Draw on Monday

Champions League Matchday Six finished on Wednesday, with 16 European clubs going through to the Last 16 Knockout Stage. Five of the teams are from the England Premier League.

Matchday Six Results
Group A: Benfica 0-2 Basel, Manchester United 2-1 CSKA
Group B: Bayern 3-1 Paris, Celtic 0-1 Anderlecht
Group C: Roma 1-0 Qarabağ, Chelsea 1-1 Atlético Madrid
Group D: Barcelona 2-0 Sporting CP, Olympiacos 0-2 Juventus
Group E: Maribor 1-1 Sevilla, Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moskva
Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Manchester City, Feyenoord 2-1 Napoli
Group G: Leipzig 1-2 Beşiktaş, Porto 5-2 Monaco
Group H: Real Madrid 3-2 Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham 3-0 APOEL

On Wednesday, Liverpool completely crushed Spartak Moscow in the first half with 3 goals. Philippe Coutinho bagged 2 and Roberto Firmino got the other in a half where Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah missed chances. Liverpool lost Alberto Moreno in what might be a serious injury given his reaction as he hobbled off the pitch in tears. Liverpool got the second half party started against a Spartak side that were totally unable to cope with the fast pace of Salah, Mane, Firmino, and Coutinho and went on to score four more goals. Spartak Moskva’s manager Massimo Carrera, who was Antonio Conte’s No 2 at Juventus, was well aware that his side needed the win as well – but ended up with no goals and a loss.

Match Report

Liverpool 7-0 Spartak Moskva
Liverpool goals: Coutinho (4’min pen, 15’min, 50’min), Firmino (18’min), Mane (47’min, 76’min), Salah (86’min)
Reds striker Philippe Coutinho scored a hat-trick as Liverpool became the 5th English Premier League side to qualify as Group E winners for the last 16 of this season's Champions League with a stunning victory over Spartak Moscow at Anfield. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp's side came into the game knowing they needed to avoid defeat to be sure of reaching the knockout stage for the first time since 2008-09. Man of the Match Coutinho gave Liverpool the lead with a fourth-minute penalty after Mohamed Salah was fouled by Georgi Dzhikiya. Liverpool doubled their advantage after a superb strike 11 minutes later, Coutinho tapping home from Roberto Firmino's pass. Firmino scored to make it 3-0 at half-time, and Sadio Mane's sublime volley extended the lead. Coutinho completed his first hat-trick for Liverpool with a deflected shot, and Mane added the 6th goal. Salah completed the rout. Liverpool's win means this is the first time five EPL clubs have qualified for the Champions League Last 16 knockout stage in the same season as Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham will join the Reds in Monday's Champions League Last 16 draw at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Check back on Monday to buy the very best Champions League Last 16 tickets for Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Man Utd, and Tottenham Hotspur at 1st4FootballTickets.com! Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked if his side would be a threat in the last 16.

"If we perform like this, if we are that clinical, then yes,” replied Klopp. "If we perform like this then it is obviously a threat, 100%." Liverpool failed to advance from the group stage on their previous two appearances in 2009-10 and 2014-15. Klopp's side were close to qualifying last month, but Sevilla came from 3-0 down to snatch a dramatic draw. In this match the Reds produced another attacking masterclass and kept up the pressure in the second half to ensure they progress in Europe's most prestigious club competition. Spartak had held the Reds to a draw in Moscow but were soundly slaughtered at Merseyside as Klopp again unleashed Coutinho, Salah, Firmino and Mane from the start. The ruthless quartet had scored 12 of their team's 16 goals in five previous group games. This was the second time Liverpool scored 7 in this season's Champions League group stage having beaten Maribor in Slovenia by seven goals in October. Having beaten Brighton 5-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, Liverpool have now scored 12 goals in 2 games. Liverpool came through the group stage unbeaten. The Reds may face a European heavyweight in the next round. Among the unseeded teams the Reds could face are holders Real Madrid, five-time winners Bayern Munich and Italian champions Juventus. They cannot face a team from the same country so will avoid Chelsea, and also cannot be drawn against Sevilla, who advance from Group E as runners-up following a 1-1 draw with Maribor. The other teams they could be paired with are Swiss club Basel, Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto.

"I don't mind too much who we get - usually I always get Real Madrid so we will see," added Klopp. "There are a lot of really strong teams. This year is quite special. Not often you can face Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but Juventus and all the others. "We will not be happy when we see who we face in the next round, but we will be ready." Sadio Mane scored the goal of the game but it was Philippe Coutinho who took home the match ball after running the show on an outstanding night for Liverpool. Coutinho's penalty was Liverpool's fastest goal in a Champions League game at Anfield (three minutes 51 seconds). Klopp's team are now unbeaten in their last eight Champions League games, winning three and drawing five. Salah has scored more goals in all competitions this season than any other Premier League player (18).

Both managers were interviewed prior to the clash. “The 90 minutes tomorrow will decide who is better,” said Spartak manager Massimo Carrera in his pre-match press briefing. “We’re going to face great players with a great atmosphere inside our squad. We will face a very strong team, but we respect the opposition and the fans of Liverpool. We expect it to be very tight tomorrow. Liverpool have many strong players. We respect them, but we don’t fear them.” “This is the game,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. “We are only part of the Champions League because we want to go to the next round. All the good and bad things that have happened so far have got us to this situation. If we win the game, that’s cool! I’m really looking forward to it. I think we are stronger than when we played them last, but I think they are as well. They have players back, so it should be an exciting game. We have learned from our first game with Spartak, but the atmosphere here should give us an advantage. Everyone knows what the atmosphere here can do. It’s special, and it will be special tomorrow night. We want to win this game, so I will not hesitate in lining up our best team - as we have done in every game so far. We have always focused on having the players with the skills and the fresh legs to win the game. Thankfully that has worked well in recent weeks. It will be no different tomorrow.”

Squads
Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Lovren, Klavan, Moreno, Coutinho, Can, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Subs: Mignolet, Milner, Henderson, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Solanke, Alexander-Arnold.
Spartak Moscow: Selikhov, Eshchenko, Tasci, Bocchetti, Dzhikija, Zobnin, Glushakov, Fernando, Promes, Luiz Adriano, Ze Luis. Subs: Rebrov, Samedov, Melgarejo, Kutepov, Pasalic, Popov, Pedro Rocha.
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

Liverpool will look to secure their place in the Premier League's top four when they host neighbors Everton in the first Merseyside Derby of the season at Anfield on Sunday. Buy Liverpool Champions League tickets and Merseyside Derby Liverpool v Everton tickets securely online now at 1st4FootballTickets.com!