Four minutes later came the second. Like Alan Shearer, Mohamed Salah is an avid goalscorer who is a superlative crosser of a ball. This time his cross culminated in Cody Gakpo’s acrobatic diving header, initially ruled out by the linesman, but ruled in by VAR.

Liverpool meet Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday with Xabi Alonso returning to Anfield with his defending Bundesliga kings. The Spanish tactician enjoyed a five-year spell on Merseyside as a player which included the heroic 2005 UCL triumph.

The Spaniard took Liverpool to his heart and is still revered - despite ruling himself out of the race to succeed Jurgen Klopp

Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield on Tuesday night as his Bayer Leverkusen side take on Liverpool in the Uefa Champions League. The Spaniard is a fan favourite in the red half of Merseyside after

Xabi Alonso, former Liverpool midfield star and current Bayer Leverkusen manager, has shed light on why he wasn’t interested in replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.