In an all too familiar refrain this season, Liverpool conceded the opening goal, but the Reds responded with 7 straight tallies, including 6 in the second half to overwhelm Rangers 7-1 on their home pitch in Champions League action. Roberto Firmino put the Reds back on level terms after Scott Arfield struck first for Rangers and after his second goal and a strike from Darwin Núñez put the Reds clear 3-1, Mohamed Salah came off the bench to score a second-half hat trick. Harvey Elliott finished the rout with a well-deserved goal.

First Half

Fashion Sakala put the first chance on the frame for Rangers within the first 5 minutes of the match, but Alisson was up to the challenge with an easy save Núñez made a nice run at goal in the 13th minute, but he was whistled for offsides. In the 17th minute, Scott Arfield delighted the home supporters as he slotted a shot past Alisson in the bottom corner of the net for a 1-0 Rangers lead.

Liverpool earned a corner in the 23rd minute and the resulting set piece ended in a goal as Firmino finished with his head at the near post to tie the score at 1-1. Rangers earned a corner of their own in the 33rd minute but the chance was cleared by the Reds' defense. Another corner came from Rangers in the 40th minute, but the delivery produced no real threat. Arfield nearly had a brace in the 42nd minute but his attempt was blocked off the line by Konate. As a result, the match stayed level at 1-1 at the halftime break.

Second Half

 Elliot was fouled in a dangerous area early in the second half but Konstantinos Tsimikas' free kick was high. The Reds strong play continued in the 52nd minute, earning a corner, but nothing came of the opportunity. Firmino bagged a brace in the 55th minute off of a cross from Joe Gomez as Liverpool went in front 2-1 Elliott had a go at goal at the hour mark, but the shot was saved. Núñez followed by scoring his second goal in as many games thanks to an assist from  Gomez.

Super-Sub Salah

When Salah came on as a substitute in the 68th minute, that's when the fun really started as the Egyptian King scored a hat trick during the final 22 minutes of the match. The strikes came in the 75th, 80th, and 81st minutes. By the time the barrage was complete, Rangers supporters could be seen scurrying for the exits. Elliot then capped the night with a well-deserved goal in the 87th minute which came off of a volley. The score was originally disallowed due to offsides, but VAR reversed the decision, giving the 19-year-old his first Champions League goal and accounting for the 7-1 final 

LFC Global Verdict

Commentators calling the match for American audiences said that the 2nd half may have saved  Liverpool's season. While that statement is a stretch, it is undeniable that the Reds played a nearly-perfect 45 minutes coming out of the locker room. Hopefully, this performance will give Salah and others the confidence and momentum they need to carry over into Premier League play. However, supporters have thought this before after strong play in Champions League matches and it has not materialized just yet. With a massive match vs Premier League leaders Manchester City next on the slate, we won't have to wait long to find out, but for at least one night, fun times were back for Liverpool.

Man of the Match and What's Next

Anytime someone scores a hat trick, it's tough not to name them as Man of the Match. As impressive as Salah's hat trick was, especially since he scored all 3 goals in a 5-minute span, I have to go with Roberto Firmino His header not tied the match at 1-1 in the 23rd minute, it silenced a raucous crowd at Ibrox.

His 55th-minute strike in the second half also proved to be the game-winner and opened the floodgates for the Reds. Now, as a result, they are comfortably in 2nd place in Group A and have very little work to do to qualify for the Round of 16 in the Champions League.

Liverpool returns to EPL play hosting Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 16:30 BST.

Goals

Rangers - Arfield 17'

Liverpool -  (Firmino 23' 55') Núñez 66' Salah (75' 80' 81') Elliott 88'

Substitutes

Rangers- King for Goldston ‘45 Davis for Jack ‘60 (Wright for Kent, Matondo for Sakala, Morelos for Colak) ‘76

Liverpool- Alcantara for Henderson ‘67 (Robertson for Tsimikas, Salah for Nunez) '68 Jota for Firmino ‘73 Milner for Konate ‘78