Jota scores a hat trick en route to big away win that puts them
five points clear at the top of Group D.

Atalanta X – 5 Liverpool

Atalanta: Player XX’, Player XX’, Player XX’Liverpool: Jota 16’
33’ 55’, Salah 47’, Mané 49’

Pre-Match

A draw would put Liverpool in a very good position to advance
out of Group D, especially considering the remaining fixture list
(home ties against Atalanta and Ajax, and away to FC Midtjylland).
But a win would be massive. It would almost be too good to be true,
considering Liverpool’s ability to make fans sweat until the final
whistle of the final group stage game.

Roberto Firmino starts on the bench, with
in-form newboy Diogo Jota filling in. Presumably Mohamed Salah will
take Bobby’s place in spearheading the attack. Curtis Jones gets
the start in midfield and Rhys Williams gets another Champions League start. Joel Matip is on the bench,
which seems to indicate that Klopp is in no rush to get the senior
center half back until he’s fully fit. Hopefully by Sunday. No
rush, Joel.

Hopefully Atalanta and Liverpool can entertain us for a couple
of hours while The Other Thing is happening.

First Half

Jota creates the first big chance of the evening, right from the
off. He goes at it alone, and nearly goes all the way! The
Portuguese striker skins a couple of defenders, but cannot beat the
keeper with his final effort.

Ten minutes in, and Liverpool are on the front foot. They are
finding space to play through this Atalanta side, and really
zipping it around the pitch.

GOAL! Jota just can’t stop scoring!
Alexander-Arnold plays a fantastic ball for Jota to run onto. Diogo
shruged off a challenge—one that would have surely been a pen, if
he goes to ground—and chips the keeper with brilliant, classy
finish.

Wijnaldum and Jones both go into the book. The former for a
midfield challenge, and the latter for mouthing off about the other
card. Someone tell Curt to turn down his Scouseness to 11.

Thirty minutes in, and Atalanta are starting to properly test
Williams with a few long balls over the top. The Reds have kept the
hosts largely at bay so far, but it’s something to watch as the
match goes on.

GOAL!! Or, Diogo Jota can just keep scoring
all the goals. Joe Gomez tallies a rare assist after pumping a
ball toward the Portuguese winger. Jota takes one touch to take it
away from his defender, and finishes it with a sweet strike on the
half-volley. Absolutely unstoppable.

So wow. It’s been a long time since Liverpool played a first
half that either a) wasn’t a complete, thankless graft, or b) was a
score line fitting of the game we’re actually watching. It was all
Liverpool in the first half, and Jota has been a live wire
throughout.

Second Half

GOAL!!! Atalanta win a corner, but Liverpool
defend it well, and Curtis Jones clears a long ball directly into
the path of a streaking Mohamed Salah. Mo doesn’t have the pace to
lose his marker outright, but takes a touch onto his left foot
(whoever could’ve guessed?) and fires a curling effort past the
keeper.

GOAL! I didn’t even have time to finish writing
about the last goal, and Liverpool have made it 4! Mo went from
goalscorer to provider, playing a perfect through ball into the
path of Sadio Mané, who chipped the keeper with a first time
finish.

GOAL! Jota gets his hat trick! And this time
it’s Sadio’s turn to provide the assist! This is fun. He put Jota
in, who then took a touch around the keeper, and finished into an
empty net.

On the hour mark, Atalanta create their biggest chance of the
night. Zappa beat Gomez, then fired off a shot from close range
that hit the inside of the post before thankfully bouncing away
harmlessly.

Kloppo takes the opportunity of being up 5-0. On the road. In
the Champions League. To make some changes ahead of Sunday’s clash
with City. He brings off Jota, Andy Robertson, and Jordan Henderson for Firmino, James Milner, and Naby Keita.

Speaking of Klopp, he picks up a yellow card for arguing with a
ref over a possible penalty. I mean, it probably was a penalty, but
you’re not getting that call at 5-0. Also, chill out Klopp. It’s
5-0, yeno.

With ten minutes of regular time left to play, Klopp makes his
final two subs. The other Williams—Neco—comes on for
Alexander-Arnold, and Tsimikas. Milner gets out of fullback
purgatory.

Final Thoughts

Well. What was the big worry? The Reds make it a perfect start
in Group D, and are big favorites to qualify for the knockout
rounds. Next up, Manchester
City. And then you can send them wools from Mars, we’ll beat
them too.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has again
questioned a former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS), Babatunde Fowler.

Fowler on Tuesday returned to the EFCC office for the second
round of questioning.

Fowler, who was also a former Chief Executive Officer, Lagos
State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) was on Monday quizzed for
several hours by the EFCC.

Spokesperson of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren confirmed to
newsmen that Fowler was allowed to go home yesterday and returned
again today for further questioning.

According to Uwujaren, Fowler is being interrogated in
connection to an ongoing investigation by the anti-graft
agency.