Smooth operators ease into Champions League last 16

On a night of one historic achievement for Liverpool, injurytime drama in Lisbon meant they will have to wait a little longer for another.

- RICHARD JOLLY

As they surpassed the defensive efforts of any of their European Cup-winning teams, they booked a place in the last 16 of the new-look Champions League. It took an improbable comeback by Barcelona against Benfica to mean they still need another point to become the inaugural winners of the 36-team group stage. There is no trophy for it, but it would be a notable feat, even if their own manager questioned its ultimate importance.

“If in tennis you are No 1 seeded it is better to face the No 24 than the No 8 or No 12 because it is a ranking done for years,” argued Arne Slot. “Now we are in a new format when some teams are high because they have a lucky draw and some are low because they had a very difficult draw. We still don’t know if it is an advantage or not. It might be an advantage, it might be a disadvantage. For me the most important thing is we have been able to skip a round and that is definitely worth a bit.”

And yet, as Liverpool’s first six games came exclusively against sides from Serie A, LaLiga and the Bundesliga, they had a difficult draw and yet still possess the lone 100 per cent record. It may not help them in the future but Jonathan David, the Lille striker who ended their record-breaking defensive run, was entitled to say: “They might be the best team in the world at the moment.”

Lille, fellow conquerors of Real Madrid, arrived at Anfield unbeaten in 21 games and were duly defeated 2-1. Liverpool are now guaranteed a top-two finish in the pool. A frugal streak has helped: even as Liverpool conceded, they still set a club record, going 599 minutes without being breached in Europe between Christian Pulisic’s strike for AC Milan, three minutes into their campaign, and David’s equaliser for Lille.