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Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah shoots on target during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match between AC Milan and Liverpool on December 7, 2021 at the San Siro stadium in Milan. (Photo : MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)
Liverpool made history on Tuesday night, becoming the first English team to win all six of its Champions League group games. The Reds accomplished that feat after beating AC Milan, 2-1, at San Siro. Mo Salah and Divock Origi scored the winning goals for the Reds, who eliminated AC Milan from Europe’s premier club football competition.
Salah, Origi preserve Liverpool’s perfect record
The Italian giants needed a victory against Liverpool to advance to the round of 16, and they got a major boost before kick-off with manager Jurgen Klopp making eight changes to his lineup. Klopp had the luxury of rotating his squad with Liverpool already guaranteed the top spot in Group B.
AC Milan made a dream start, scoring the opener in the 28th minute via Fikayo Tomori. The England defender was in the right place at the right time as he pounced on a poor clearance by Allison.
AC Milan’s joy was short-lived, though, as Liverpool quickly equalized eight minutes later. Salah showed his predatory instincts inside the box, firing home the rebound after Milan keeper Mike Maigna saved Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s initial effort. Salah also made history with that goal as he became the first Liverpool player to score 20 goals in five consecutive seasons since Ian Rush accomplished that feat back in the 1980s.
Liverpool piled on the pressure in the second half, and the Reds got the winner they were searching for in the 55th minute. Days after bagging a last-minute winner against Wolves in the Premier League, Origi scored another winning goal for the Reds, this time on the European stage.
Origi pounced on a loose ball after Maigna saved Mane’s initial effort. He made it 2-1 for Liverpool as Origi scored his first Champions League goal since the 2019 final against Tottenham.
Liverpool finished the group stage with a commanding 11-point advantage over second-placed Atletico Madrid, who also qualified for the Champions League. Porto managed to nab a spot in the Europa League after finishing in third place. AC Milan, who had dreams of qualifying for the Champions League before Tuesday’s group matches, ended up empty-handed as they finished at the bottom of Group B with just four points.
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Real Madrid advance to last 16 as group winners
Real Madrid secured the top spot in Group D after beating Inter Milan, 2-0, at the Bernabeu. Toni Kroos opened the scoring for the 13-time Champions League winners with a fine long-range effort in the 17th minute. It was a historic moment for the Spanish giants as Kroos’ effort was their 1,000th goal in the European Cup.
Inter’s task became even harder in the 64th minute after Nicolo Barella was given his marching orders for a foul on defender Eder Militao. Marco Asensio sealed the win for Real Madrid in the 79th minute, curling in a fantastic shot into the top corner.
Inter may have lost the chance to finish top of the group with the defeat, but they still qualified for the Champions League as the second-best team in Group D.
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