Liverpool thrash Qarabag 6-0 to cruise through

LIVERPOOL, England, Jan 28 - Liverpool cruised to a 6-0 victory over Azerbaijan's Qarabag on Wednesday to secure their automatic place in the last 16 of the Champions League and give the club a lift after their poor run of domestic form in the defence of their Premier League title.

Liverpool took the lead after 15 minutes with an Alexis Mac Allister header and doubled it soon after with a sharp shot by Florian Wirtz, who is beginning to show signs of the talent that persuaded the club to pay 116 million pounds ($160.11 million) to bring him in from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

The six-times champions, who began the night in fourth, made it 3-0 five minutes into the second half with a superb Mohamed Salah curler from a free kick move and Hugo Ekitike slotted the fourth on the counter-attack.

Mac Allister got his second after an hour and substitute Federico Chiesa completed the 6-0 thrashing as Liverpool finished in third place on 18 points after six wins and two defeats. Last season they topped the group stage standings but found themselves facing eventual champions Paris St Germain in the last 16, and lost on penalties.

Despite the defeat, Qarabag held on to their spot in the playoff places on 10 points. REUTERS