Liverpool extended their perfect Champions League run with a 2-1 victory over Lille at Anfield, but the triumph was clouded by an injury to Curtis Jones.
Jones, starting alongside Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield, played a crucial role in Liverpool’s opener, setting up Mohamed Salah to give the Reds an early lead.
Unfortunately, his injury forced manager Arne Slot to rethink his substitution strategy. Harvey Elliott replaced Jones at the break, stepping up to make a decisive impact.
“Yeah, the idea was to take Dom off and Ryan off at the time, but Curtis unfortunately couldn’t continue so that’s why Dom stayed a bit longer,” said Slot.
“There was a moment in the game. What he felt, he said, ‘Let’s play for five more minutes, and then let’s see how it is.’ But he said he had to come out at half-time.
“We wanted to win this game but we were also aware of the fact that we had to manage the loads. We would have been really, really, really unlucky if we would have lost twice and still not been in the top eight.
“As we know now, I think 18 points would have been enough to play top eight. But with 21 there is no discussion.”
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Lille equalized through Jonathan David, threatening to derail Liverpool’s momentum.
But Elliott restored the lead just five minutes later with a clinical finish, ensuring Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the competition remained intact.
This seventh consecutive victory cements Liverpool as the only team with a 100% record in this season’s Champions League, keeping them atop the standings and improving their prospects for the knockout stage draw.
Slot praised his team’s adaptability, particularly Elliott’s performance under pressure, but acknowledged concerns over Jones’ injury.
