Liverpool have won 2-1 against Lille in their Champions League match at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah scored on the counter-attack in the first half and the hosts were cruising when Lille’s Aissa Mandi was sent off for a second bookable offence.
But Jonathan David’s equaliser stunned the home side, who then enjoyed a slice of luck as Harvey Elliott’s speculative strike took a deflection on its way in.
The result meant Liverpool have won seven out of seven games in the new league phase and have qualified for the last-16.
Re-live all the action from Anfield below:
Liverpool vs Lille LIVE
- Liverpool host Lille in the Champions League | Live on Amazon Prime
- Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
- Lille XI: Chevalier; Gundmundsson, Alexsandro, Diakite, Mandi; Bakker, Mukau, Andre (c), Cabella; Haraldsson, David.
- GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Lille (Salah, 34 min)
- Red card! Mandi (Lille)
- GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Lille (David, 62 min)
- GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Lille (Elliott, 68 min)
Liverpool FC 2 - 1 Lille OSC
Liverpool send message as Arne Slot's untouchables sail into Champions League last-16
22:21Richard Jolly’s report from Anfield:
Liverpool send message as Arne Slot's untouchables sail into Champions League last-16
Salah: 'We are disappointed to let them score'
22:28 , Lawrence OstlereAfter scoring his 50th Champions League goal, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said on Amazon Prime: "Hopefully it's not the last one but it's something I'm very happy and proud about, especially because we won the game. That's the most important thing. I wasn't focused (on the record) to be fair.
"They had a really good game plan, they were unbeaten in 21 games so they were quite a tough team and it showed in that first half. In the second half we give them all the credit but we managed to win the game.
"I don't think we switched off (when Lille went down to 10 men) but I think they went to counter-attack and they managed to score so we are disappointed in that because a clean sheet is important for us and our defensive line. I'm sure the manager will speak about that.
"We have a different manager and different players (to the last time Liverpool won the Champions League) but we have good talent, the players are working hard and the manager has a good idea so we will try and we will see."
Bologna stun embattled Dortmund 2-1 with two-goal comeback in two minutes
22:07 , Lawrence OstlereBologna struck twice in two minutes to bag a 2-1 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday and earn their first win in the competition while piling pressure on the embattled Germans who suffered a fourth straight loss across all competitions.
Dortmund, who took the lead with a 15th-minute Serhou Guirassy penalty, have now lost all their matches in 2025, after Bologna staged a quickfire comeback with goals from Thijs Dallinga in the 71st and Samuel Iling-Junior a minute later.
With coach Nuri Sahin's future now in the balance, Dortmund, who play Shakhtar Donetsk on the last matchday, dropped to 13th on 12 points. The top eight teams advance to the round of 16 with the next 16 teams going into playoffs.
The Italians, who had scored only one goal in their previous six Champions league matches, move up to 27th with five points.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille: match summary
22:03 , Lawrence OstlereLiverpool booked their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Lille on Tuesday at Anfield, thanks to goals from talisman Mohamed Salah and substitute Harvey Elliott.
Arne Slot's men maintained their 100% record and top the 36-team table with 21 points, three points clear of second-placed Barcelona with one game of the league phase remaining.
Salah netted his 50th European goal for Liverpool in the 34th minute when he sprinted onto a long pass from Curtis Jones before curling a shot around goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
Despite being reduced to 10 men when Aissa Mandi was shown his second yellow card in the 59th minute, Jonathan David levelled for the visitors three minutes later when he hammered home the loose ball after Hakon Arnar Haraldsson's shot was blocked.
Liverpool quickly regained the lead when a corner was headed out to the edge of the box and Elliott fired a crisp shot that took a wild deflection into the net in the 67th minute.
Full-time: Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:53 , Lawrence OstlereAnd there it is, a job well done, albeit with a brief second-half scare.
Liverpool have played seven, won seven, and they will definitely qualify for the last-16.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:51 , Lawrence Ostlere90 min: Mac Allister is booked for a bit of a hack. Liverpool are nearly over the line here, though. Three minutes of added time to come.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:49 , Lawrence Ostlere88 min: Chiesa fires a low shot which is well saved, and Nunez pounces to tap home. But he was quite clearly offside, and the flag quickly goes up.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:44 , Lawrence Ostlere85 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold replaces Conor Bradley.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:44 , Lawrence Ostlere84 min: Liverpool deal with the corner but Lille come again, that is until David is ruled offside chasing down a ball over the top.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:43 , Lawrence Ostlere82 min: Lille are starting to look bright once more, despite being a man down, as they probe for an equaliser. They have a corner.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:37 , Lawrence Ostlere78 min: Nunez finds Salah who takes a brilliant first touch to set himself in on goal, at a tight angle, and his low right-footed shot is saved at the near post.
Liverpool 2-1 Lille
21:3675 min: Federico Chiesa replaces Luis Diaz.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Lille (Elliott, 68 min)
21:28 , Lawrence OstlereLiverpool go on the attack and they are quickly back in front! Tsimikas’s corner is headed out and Harvey Elliott is lurking outside the box. He tries a first-time shot, which gets a huge deflection on its way past Chevalier in the Lille goal. A big slice of fortune there, but Liverpool will take it.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Lille (Elliott, 68 min)
21:27 , Lawrence OstlereLiverpool go on the attack and they are quickly back in front! Tsimikas’s corner is headed out and Harvey Elliott is lurking outside the box. He tries a first-time shot, which gets a huge deflection on its way past Chevalier in the Lille goal. A big slice of fortune there, but Liverpool will take it.
Liverpool 1-1 Lille
21:24 , Lawrence Ostlere65 min: Endo replaces Szoboszlai.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Lille (David, 62 min)
21:21 , Lawrence OstlereNow then. It was as if Liverpool switched off after the red card, letting Lille have the ball, and they’ve paid the price. Gundmundsson battles down the left and crosses for Haraldsson, and when his shot is blocked, Jonathan David pounces from close range. Wow.
Red card! Mandi (Lille)
21:18 , Lawrence OstlereOh dear. Aissa Mandi trips Luis Diaz as the winger tries to rush on to a throughball. It is cynical, and he is already on a yellow card, and he has to go.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
21:12 , Lawrence Ostlere52 min: Tsimikas delivers a free-kick from the left wing and Quansah wins the ball in the air, but he can’t find the target and heads over.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
21:10 , Lawrence Ostlere50 min: A chance for Darwin Nunez but he can’t quite on the end of Tsimikas’s overhit throughball.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
21:07 , Lawrence Ostlere47 min: Salah bears down on goal and tries to find the far corner with a curling finish, but his radar is just off and his shot goes past the post. He could have had a hat-trick here.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
21:05 , Lawrence OstlereArne Slot makes two changes at the break: Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott replace Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.
Kick-off! Liverpool 1-0 Lille
21:04 , Lawrence OstlereThey’re back underway at Anfield and Liverpool go straight on the attack with Nunez down the left wing.
Half-time: Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:56 , Lawrence OstlereHere’s a look at that Salah. A lovely pass by Curtis Jones, and what a finish:
Half-time: Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:48 , Lawrence OstlereLille started the half well but faded, and succumbed to Liverpool’s rapid counter-attacking several times as the game wore on. A fine finish by Mohamed Salah is the only goal so far.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:46 , Lawrence Ostlere45 min: Lille just need to get to half-time now so they can regroup. They’ve got two added minutes to survive.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:45 , Lawrence Ostlere43 min: Another counter by Liverpool releases Salah down the right, and he holds off his defender expertly before facing up to Chevalier one on one – but this time Salah’s finishing is just off, and he slides the ball wide of the far post. That was almost brilliant.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:41 , Lawrence Ostlere40 min: Liverpool launch a rapid counter-attack which sees the ball moved left and then right to Salah in the box, who tries a little chip to the back post, but it’s headed clear by Diakite.
'Liverpool make more history'
20:40 , Richard Jolly at AnfieldLiverpool have made some history. They have set a new club record for the longest time between conceding goals in Europe, beating the 572-minute shutout recorded by Rafa Benitez's team in 2005-06. They have only conceded to Christian Pulisic in this season's Champions League, and after just three minutes of it.
Liverpool 1-0 Lille
20:37 , Lawrence Ostlere36 min: That was Salah’s 50th European goal. No Liverpool player has reached that landmark before.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Lille (Salah, 34 min)
20:35 , Lawrence OstlereTsimikas steals the ball from Jonathan David and Liverpool break quickly. A throughball finds Salah bursting in on goal, and he whips it around Chevalier and into the corner!
Beautifully taken – did I say something about Salah having a bad game? Eeesh.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:33 , Lawrence Ostlere32 min: Conor Bradley breathes a sigh of relief after giving the ball away on the edge of his own box, as Liverpool get back in numbers to stave off Lille’s attack.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:31 , Lawrence Ostlere30 min: Luis Diaz fizzes a cross into the box from the left wing and Salah can’t bring a vicious ball under control.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:27 , Lawrence Ostlere26 min: The set-piece is worked quickly into the feet of Salah, who tries to lift the ball into the danger zone, but it’s well overhit and drifts out for a goal-kick. Famous last words, but Salah is not having a very good game here.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:26 , Lawrence Ostlere24 min: Bradley is chopped down by Haraldsson and Liverpool will have a set-piece from deep on the right wing.
'French clubs flying high in Europe'
20:24 , Richard Jolly at AnfieldLille have begun brightly here. One of the themes of this season's Champions League has been the overachievement of the French clubs, with the notable exception of the richest, Paris Saint-Germain. Lille, Brest and Monaco are all in contention for top-eight finishes. Arne Slot will have an interest in Lille's last game, too, as it is against his former club Feyenoord.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:20 , Lawrence Ostlere18 min: Tsimikas tries to whip in a cross from the left but it’s blocked. Liverpool are not having a lot joy creating chances so far.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:18 , Lawrence Ostlere15 min: Lille probe but are too reluctant to pull the trigger, eventually electing to cross via Mandi, and his ball is cut out by Van Dijk.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:14 , Lawrence Ostlere12 min: Liverpool move the ball quickly forwards down the left before shifting it across to the right for Salah arriving in the box. Salah tries to poke a low pass between a couple of defenders to a teammate on the penalty spot but it’s intercepted.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:11 , Lawrence Ostlere10 min: Really well worked by Lille, through Liverpool’s midfield and down the left flank, but Mukau can’t control the pass into his feet in the box and the chance escapes him.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:09 , Lawrence Ostlere7 min: The early signs are that Lille are going to try and play out from the back whatever the weather, and that is going to get them in trouble at times, as it does here. Liverpool hustle the ball in the final third but Diaz can’t quite pick out Salah with his pass.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:08 , Lawrence Ostlere5 min: Salah’s first moment in the game is a driving run towards the box before checking back on to his left foot, but his shot flies off target from 20 yards.
Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:06 , Lawrence Ostlere3 min: A fairly uneventful start, though Lille have opted for a front-foot press this evening and that should make things interesting.
Kick-off! Liverpool 0-0 Lille
20:02 , Lawrence OstlereWe’re underway at Anfield. Liverpool are in all red, Lille are in all white.
Liverpool v Lille
19:56 , Richard Jolly at AnfieldLiverpool only need one point to be mathematically certain of a top-eight finish and four to guarantee top spot. In reality, they already have a game planned which would clash with the play-off round - the rearranged Merseyside derby. Arne Slot's selection shows his confidence they can get the draw needed to skip the February round. He rotates at the back, with Jarell Quansah, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley all coming in. Darwin Nunez's late double at Brentford earns him a start.
Liverpool v Lille
19:51Here we go then, kick-off is just a few minutes away. A reminder of the line-ups:
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Lille XI: Chevalier; Gundmundsson, Alexsandro, Diakite, Mandi; Bakker, Mukau, Andre (c), Cabella; Haraldsson, David.
Match facts
19:40 , Chris WilsonLille are undefeated in their last 21 matches – a new club record – with 12 wins and nine draws.
They have scored in all but one of their last 16 matches in all competitions, but have kept only two clean sheets in the last 10.
Liverpool have lost only one of their last 28 fixtures – at Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup earlier this month.
League phase permutations
19:35 , Chris WilsonIt’s a pretty simple evening ahead for Liverpool – avoid defeat tonight, and they will book their automatic place in the last 16 of the competition.
A draw or win would guarantee that they can’t fall below eighth in the league phase table, though of course Arne Slot’s side will be keen to win both of their remaining matches to finish top of the table with a flawless record.
Arne Slot explains Liverpool's new problem: ‘All of them are in a low block’
19:30 , Chris WilsonArne Slot believes it has become harder for Liverpool to score goals after they left it late to earn a stoppage-time 2-0 victory over Brentford.
The league-leaders, who had 37 shots on Saturday, needed Darwin Nunez’s late double to secure a precious three points in their bid for Premier League glory.
The hard-fought victory in west London came after successive draws to Manchester United and Nottingham Forest and Slot believes the defensive set-up of opponents has made it increasingly difficult for his side to find the net.
Slot explains Liverpool's new problem: ‘All of them are in a low block’
Slot: "I am not surprised but impressed"
19:22 , Chris WilsonIn his pre-match conference, Arne Slot said that he is “impressed” with Lille.
“I was impressed by their manager Bruno Genesio at Rennes, at the way his team played. I've seen many games of them and I'm not surprised. They've deserved every single point,” he said.
“The most important, when we go out there we want to win a game,” he added.
“I'm not thinking at the league table in a way that if you finish number one you get the easiest team because being on top doesn't tell you you're the best team. It's impossible to say because of the strange format we have.”
Match facts
19:15 , Chris WilsonLiverpool are aiming to equal their best ever sequence of seven wins in a row in the Champions League era, having won their opening seven matches of the 2021-22 campaign.
In their 16 previous clashes with French teams at Anfield, the Reds have won 13, drawn one and lost two (to Marseille in 2007 and Lyon in 2009).
How Liverpool’s squad was expertly built – and why Arne Slot is now reaping the rewards
19:10 , Richard JollyAfter the 22-second goal came the 26-minute strike. Arne Slot provided the definition of both an impact substitute and an instant impact when Diogo Jota scored at Nottingham Forest, with his first touch, 22 seconds after he and his provider, Kostas Tsimikas, entered proceedings. Four days later, Darwin Nunez broke the deadlock 26 minutes after his own introduction. His second goal, two minutes later, was assisted by another replacement, Harvey Elliott, 13 minutes into his cameo against Brentford.
“It's so nice for me, for us as a team, that I have players that can impact the game on the bench as well,” reflected Slot. As Liverpool resume their Champions League campaign, top of the table and with the only 100 percent record in the competition, two of their outstanding performances in the competition came from men likely to begin on the bench against Lille on Tuesday. When Real Madrid were beaten 2-0, Caoimhin Kelleher saved Kylian Mbappe’s penalty. And if the goalkeeper was not the man of the match, it is because Conor Bradley produced a barnstorming display.
Liverpool’s squad was expertly built – and Arne Slot is reaping the rewards
Liverpool team news
19:15 , Lawrence OstlereSo Darwin Nunez does indeed lead the line for Liverpool tonight, with Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones also coming into the side, as Arne Slot takes the opportunity to rotate his troops.
Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate and Alexis Mac Allister drop to the bench.
Confirmed line-up: Lille
18:52 , Lawrence OstlereChevalier; Gundmundsson, Alexsandro, Diakite, Mandi; Bakker, Mukau, Andre (c), Cabella; Haraldsson, David.
Subs: Mannone, Caillard, Gomes, Sahraoui, Meunier, Bayo, Mbappe, Ismaily, Bouaddi, Cossier.
Confimed line-up: Liverpool
18:49 , Lawrence OstlereLiverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Jaros, Endo, Konate, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Gakpo, Elliott, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Danns, Morton.
Team news
18:40 , Chris WilsonThe starting line-ups should be announced in the next five minutes, so here’s a reminder of the early team news.
Joe Gomez is Liverpool’s only long-term absentee, though Diogo Jota is a doubt having missed the win at Brentford with a niggle. Some rotation can be expected as Arne Slot continues to balance efforts domestic and continental.
Lille are currently without defensive pair Tiago Santos and Samuel Umtiti.
Head-to-head
18:32 , Chris WilsonThese two sides have met just twice before, in the Europa League in 2010.
Those meetings came in the round of 16 in the 2009/10 edition of the competition. Lille won the home tie 1-0, though the Reds came back to win 3-0 at Anfield, courtesy of goals from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (2).
Ibrahima Konate committed to Liverpool despite unresolved contract situation
18:25 , Chris WilsonLiverpool defender Ibrahima Konate admits he still has a contract issue to resolve but is demonstrating his commitment to the club by making the sacrifice of playing through pain to keep the team competing on four fronts.
The France international’s deal expires at the end of next season so is not as pressing as the likes of fellow defenders Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold and forward Mohamed Salah, who have all entered the final five months of their existing agreements.
Negotiations to get them to stay have to take priority but the future of the 25-year-old Konate, first-choice partner for Van Dijk, cannot be ignored for too long.
Ibrahima Konate committed to Liverpool despite unresolved contract situation
Jota ruled out for several weeks as Liverpool manager Arne Slot provides injury update
18:15 , Richard JollyDiogo Jota will be out for several weeks with a muscle problem as the striker faces a second spell on the sidelines this season.
The Portugal international, who spent seven weeks on the sidelines in autumn with a rib injury, missed Saturday’s win at Brentford and will sit out Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Lille.
Liverpool are likely to be without him for matches including their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham and the rearranged Merseyside derby at Goodison Park while they will have to wait and see if he is fit for next month’s trip to Manchester City.
Jota ruled out for several weeks in latest Liverpool injury blow
Predicted line-ups
18:05 , Chris WilsonLiverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Endo, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Chiesa.
Lille XI: Chevalier; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Bouaddi; Bakker, Cabella, Sahraoui; David.
Team news
18:00 , Chris WilsonJoe Gomez is Liverpool’s only long-term absentee, though Diogo Jota is a doubt having missed the win at Brentford with a niggle. Some rotation can be expected as Arne Slot continues to balance efforts domestic and continental.
Lille are currently without defensive pair Tiago Santos and Samuel Umtiti.
Is Liverpool vs Lille on TV?
17:50 , Chris WilsonWhen is Liverpool vs Lille?
Liverpool vs Lille is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 21 January at Anfield.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Amazon Prime Video, with coverage from 7pm.
Liverpool vs Lille LIVE
17:40 , Chris WilsonLiverpool can book their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League as they face Lille in their penultimate group fixture.
A perfect six wins from six games leave Arne Slot’s side top of the tree in Europe, just as they are in the Premier League, and all but assured of direct progression through to the knockout rounds.
Their visitors, though, are also going well, sitting eighth with two games to go having lost just once in the competition so far.
A surprise win at Anfield would be a real boost as they look to join their opponents in avoiding the two-legged play-off round.
Liverpool vs Lille LIVE
17:28 , Chris WilsonGood evening and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Lille.
The league phase leaders need just one point to ensure a place in the competition’s last 16, while Lille are also looking to take a step closer to automatic qualification for the next round.
And we’ll have all the latest build-up and team news right here.
