AFP – A 27th minute tap-in from Darwin Nunez took Liverpool to a controlled 1-0 win at RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, continuing their excellent start under new coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool broke through some early Leipzig pressure just before the half-hour mark when Mohamed Salah hit a perfect header across his body.
Nunez sprang forward to prod home the goal-bound ball, grabbing his first Champions League goal since February 2023.
Despite a late Leipzig flurry, Liverpool again showed the control and resilience that has taken them to the top of the Premier League table just days out from this Sunday’s clash at Arsenal.
“We’re really happy for the win. We played a difficult away game. We controlled the game in large parts apart from the last few minutes,” said Slot.
“I asked for a goal. He (Darwin) gave us one but in the lead-up to the goal, Cody Gakpo was important and Mo Salah with an assist. It was a team goal. It’s pleasing to see that Darwin did a really good job today.”
Slot has won 11 of his first 12 games in charge in all competitions, the best start of any manager in Liverpool history, while Leipzig are now zero from three in Europe this season.
“With a bit of luck, maybe we could have taken a point,” Leipzig goalie Peter Gulacsi said, adding, “In the Champions League, we’ve had no luck at all.”
Both sides had impressed domestically this season on the back of strong defensive records, with Liverpool conceding three in eight Premier League games and Leipzig just two in seven.
Slot made three changes to the side which beat Chelsea 2-1 at home on Sunday, benching Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones for Kostas Tsimikas and Alexis Mac Allister, while Nunez replaced Diogo Jota.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose’s starting XI made his intentions clear, the coach going for the all-out attack of Lois Openda, Xavi Simons, Benjamin Sesko and Antonio Nusa.
Rose’s set-up worked early, with Leipzig pressing Liverpool hard and hitting them on the counter.
Sesko went close after 19 minutes, pouncing after Caoimhin Kelleher surged out of his box and failed to clear, but the big Slovenian’s long-range effort curled just wide of the post.
Openda scored from well outside the box on the 26-minute mark but the Belgian’s stunner was ruled out for offside. Liverpool made Leipzig pay immediately, Nunez tapping in a goal-bound Salah header, just his second strike in nine appearances this season. Nunez went inches from doubling up shortly after but his point-blank header was well saved by Gulacsi.
With one eye on Sunday’s match at Arsenal, Liverpool tried to take the sting out of the game in the second half, controlling the match and keeping Leipzig at bay.
Salah was upset to be subbed with half an hour remaining, but by then Slot clearly had Arsenal in mind. The home side rallied late, Openda again having a goal struck off for a clear offside, but Liverpool held on to make it three from three in the Champions League.
