Substitute Mohamed Salah overshadowed a Roberto Firmino brace by scoring a six minute hat-trick as Liverpool beat Rangers 7-1. 

Firmino's brace put the Reds in control after Scott Arfield had given the hosts the lead.

The Brazilian provided the assist for Darwin Nunez to score his first Champions League goal for Liverpool to put the game to bed. 

Salah then scored the fastest hat-trick in the history of the competition before Harvey Elliott scored his first goal in the competition to wrap up the scoring. 

The result means that Rangers are out of the competition and Liverpool need a single point to guarantee progression to the knockout stages. 

  • Story of the match

Ryan Kent's effort from outside the box after just five minutes was a sign of Rangers' early intent.

The hosts took the lead after 17 minutes when Arfield opened the scoring with a low drive across Alisson after Fabio Carvalho was dispossessed by James Tavernier. 

A poor Joe Gomez back-pass nearly had the Reds in trouble again but there was no one in the box to capitalise when Antonio Colak reached the ball. 

The home sides' lead lasted just seven minutes as Liverpool levelled when Firmino met Kostas Tsmikas' corner at the near post. 

Rangers came back swinging, Colak could not find Kent to finish off a counter-attack with five minutes of the first-half left then Ibrahima Konate blocked Arfield from doubling his tally for the evening after 43 minutes. 

Connor Goldson was replaced by Leon King just before the interval after picking up a knee-injury tussling with Nunez. 

Liverpool's intensity was much improved after the break and it eventually paid off when Gomez fizzed a ball into Firmino who made no mistake from close range ten minutes into the half.

The hosts' woes for worse when Ryan Jack was forced off to be replaced by Steven Davis with a problem just after they had conceded.

Nunez put the Reds out of sight, curling it past Allan McGregor after a lovely cushion from Firmino in the 67th minute. 

It proved to be Nunez's final touch as he was replaced by Salah, Andy Robertson and Thiago also replaced Tsimikas and Jordan Henderson. 

Just three minutes later Salah brought down Thiago's lofted pass but could not finish it as Jurgen Klopp's side looked to put the game beyond doubt. 

Diogo Jota made a brief cameo, coming on for Firmino with less than twenty minutes to go. However, he managed three assists as Salah scored the quickest hat-trick in Champions League history. 

The Egyptian smashed in from a tight angle for Liverpool's fourth goal with 15 minutes left, he completed his hat-trick with two clever finishes within two minutes of each other just six minutes later.

Rabbi Matondo, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Wright replaced Fashion Sakala, Colak and Ryan Kent whilst James Milner replaced Konate. 

Elliott had teased with a spectacular long-range curling effort earlier in the half, and lashed the ball home from close range with three minutes to go after a move involving Salah and Jota. 

He had a nervous wait to find out if the goal was going to stand, but after a lengthy check it did and the Reds were in seven heaven. 

Fabinho and Gomez were booked late on as the game came to a close

  • Player of the Match

Roberto Firmino

The Brazilian attacker got the Reds back into the match and then put them into the lead.

He looked dangerous throughout the game and his renaissance has been a joy to witness.

Arguably the most brilliant thing he did in the game was his assist for Nunez's goal.

A complete performance, a throwback to his superb 2017/18 season. 

Some achievement to be given the official Champions League Man of the Match award when one of your teammates scored the fastest hat-trick in competition history.