Liverpool score 10,000th goal in 2-0 win over Midtjylland

October 28, 2020

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Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scores his side’s second goal with a penalty, passing Midtjylland’s goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen during the Champions League Group D match between Liverpool and FC Midtjylland at Anfield stadium, in Liverpool yesterday.

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, 20, celebrates scoring his side's first goal.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP):

Diogo Jota scored the 10,000th goal in Liverpool's 128-year history to lead the six-time European champions to a 2-0 win over FC Midtjylland in the Champions League yesterday.

Mohamed Salah converted a penalty in stoppage time to complete the win for the English champions, who have opened Group D with back-to-back victories - having beaten Ajax 1-0 last week.

Jota's historic goal came in the 55th minute when he tapped in from close range following a well-worked move involving Xherdan Shaqiri and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The negative for Liverpool at Anfield was a hamstring injury sustained by Fabinho which forced off the Brazil midfielder and deepened the team's early-season defensive woes.

Fabinho has been filling in at centre back for Virgil van Dijk, who is likely out for many months after damaging cruciate knee ligaments. With Joel Matip currently struggling for fitness, Liverpool have just one fit senior centre back in Joe Gomez.

"Exactly the last thing we needed," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. "He felt his hamstring so that's not good.

First away game

"He said he could've played on but not sprinting, so that doesn't help. We will see. We will have to do a scan and see, but clearly it's not good."

Midtjylland, the Danish champion playing their first away game in Europe's elite competition, troubled Liverpool at times and wasted two great chances - both of which fell to the same player.

Anders Dreyer was denied by goalkeeper Alisson in a one-on-one chance in the opening minutes, then chipped a shot into the side-netting when through on goal in the 89th, when the score was 1-0.

Midtjylland opened the group with a 4-0 loss to Atalanta.

Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino - Liverpool's usual attacking trio - all started on the bench and it nearly backfired, with the team not having a shot on target in the first half.

"It was a tough night," Klopp said. "It's a bit like in a marriage, there are good and bad times.

"It's not a bad time but it's a tricky time -- 100 per cent we have to stick together and fight harder and that's what the boys did tonight."