Substitute Mohamed Salah scored the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history as Liverpool came from behind to thrash Rangers 7-1 on Thursday (NZ time) and put themselves on the verge of qualification for the competition's knockout stages.
Salah came off the bench in the second half with Liverpool leading 3-1 and fired a treble timed at 6m and 12s between the first and third goals to turn a hard-fought win into a rout.
Roberto Firmino had dragged Liverpool back into the contest with a double strike and Darwin Nunez was also on the scoresheet before Harvey Elliott rounded off the scoring following Salah's goals.
It appeared a much-changed Liverpool were in for further frustration in a disappointing season so far, as they fell behind for the eighth time in all competitions, after Scott Arfield slotted home 17 minutes in to lift the roof off Ibrox.
That lead lasted less than eight minutes, however, as Firmino continued his prolific season with a near-post header to level things up from a corner.
Liverpool were much the better team right from the off in the second half and deservedly edged back in front 10 minutes after the interval, Firmino converting Joe Gomez's pinpoint low cross to take his goal tally to eight in all competitions.
With Rangers chasing the game, a fine finish from close-season signing Nunez put the game beyond the hosts before Salah took centre stage.
Elliott added to the home side's embarrassment with a late seventh, putting the seal on a victory that means Liverpool are second in Group A, and need just one point from their final two matches to be sure of a spot in the knockout stages, while Rangers are bottom, without a point.
"We were really just on it and meeting us in the wrong moment is not cool (for opponents)," Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp said.
"All the goals we scored were exceptional. Mo (Salah) came on and is on fire and interprets the position really well. It is a night where things work out for us.
"In the end we needed to get clear in the final third, which obviously worked out, all the goals were great, how we played them and set them up and finished them."
Tottenham Hotspur took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stages, after coming from behind to beat 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2.
In a busy first half, two well-taken goals from Son Heung-min either side of a Harry Kane penalty calmed the home fans, after Europa League champions Frankfurt had taken an early lead through Daichi Kamada.
Any hopes of a Frankfurt comeback were dashed on the hour mark, when they were reduced to 10 men after defender Tuta was sent off for his second booking after twice bringing down Son on the left wing.
The German side did spook the hosts with three minutes remaining, when Faride Alidou rose highest from an inswinging corner to head the ball in. But even with Kane missing another penalty, Spurs held on.
The win put Antonio Conte's side top of Group D on seven points. However, it is still all to play for as Olympique de Marseille and Sporting are tied on six points, and Frankfurt remain in the hunt on four with two games left.
Robert Lewandowski scored two late goals to earn Barcelona a point in a breathless 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, which kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16.
Barcelona are still facing elimination at the group stage of the competition for the second consecutive season but Lewandowski's stoppage-time equaliser gave them a slim chance of progressing with two games left.
Inter need a home win over Viktoria Plzen next week to join Bayern Munich in the last 16.
Reuters.
