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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Virgil van Dijk fumes at Liverpool team-mates as Thiago Alcantara targeted by referee

Liverpool continued their improving Champions League campaign with an historic win at Rangers on Wednesday.

A brace from Roberto Firmino, strikes from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott and a quickfire hat-trick from substitute Mohamed Salah earned the Reds a record 7-1 win over the Scottish Premiership side. The result means Jurgen Klopp’s side have secured three successive victories in the competition to strengthen their grip on second place in Group A.

But there was plenty that went unnoticed or under the radar during the 90 minutes at Ibrox.

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JURGEN KLOPP: What Liverpool boss showed players at half-time to inspire Rangers blitz

Van Dijk unimpressed

Liverpool may have romped to victory in the second half but it wasn't quite so straightforward before the break. And Virgil van Dijk made sure everybody knew about it.

After the Reds were, not for the first time, almost caught out by a swift Rangers attack, the concession of a corner gave Van Dijk the chance to let his feelings known to several of his team-mates for their failure to properly track back.

Roberto Firmino was in the vicinity but it appeared Fabio Carvalho was on the end of the ticking off. Given the Reds were rarely troubled after that, it perhaps worked.

Nunez agitated

If Liverpool haven't been at their consistent best this season, few can doubt a desire to improve that manifested itself in several ways at Ibrox.

After overhitting an attempted ball through to Harvey Elliott, Fabinho put his hands to his head in sheer frustration until swiftly getting on with the game.

And, shortly afterwards, Darwin Nunez was left beating the turf in similar angst having been denied a goal. The Uruguayan didn't have long to wait for an altogether different reaction, though.

Thiago told off

There was a strange moment during the second half when referee Slavko Vincic temporary halted play and sprinted over to the Liverpool substitutes warming up on the touchline.

The official made a beeline for Thiago Alcantara and began forcibly pointing at the line marked out that those on the bench are presumably not supposed to cross when the game was in play.

Thiago pleaded his innocence and then simply looked bemused as the referee trotted back to the other end of the pitch. The Spaniard was then introduced by Jurgen Klopp a few minutes later anyway.

Firmino giveaway

Roberto Firmino didn't quite manage to gain the matchball taken home by Mohamed Salah - and he left Ibrox without his shirt also.

The two-goal Brazilian responded to a request from a young Rangers supporter by handing over his jersey as he left the field after the final whistle.

Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, clearly fancies himself as the new Sadio Mane, given the manner in which he was copying Firmino's goal celebrations. Long may it continue.

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