The Fort Worth Press - Liverpool the 'complete' team, says Alonso after Leverkusen humbled

USD -
AED 3.673052
AFN 66.999536
ALL 89.796327
AMD 387.239549
ANG 1.802698
AOA 912.499235
ARS 992.72774
AUD 1.50757
AWG 1.7925
AZN 1.695038
BAM 1.794822
BBD 2.019547
BDT 119.529407
BGN 1.79015
BHD 0.376835
BIF 2897.5
BMD 1
BND 1.316601
BOB 6.911994
BRL 5.742702
BSD 1.000275
BTN 84.131412
BWP 13.300909
BYN 3.273378
BYR 19600
BZD 2.016151
CAD 1.38414
CDF 2843.999685
CHF 0.863101
CLF 0.034667
CLP 956.57952
CNY 7.093396
CNH 7.119295
COP 4416.5
CRC 511.425163
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 101.301218
CZK 23.189097
DJF 177.719992
DKK 6.82931
DOP 60.475033
DZD 133.036412
EGP 49.147467
ERN 15
ETB 120.949892
EUR 0.91572
FJD 2.240751
FKP 0.765169
GBP 0.767565
GEL 2.715002
GGP 0.765169
GHS 16.398365
GIP 0.765169
GMD 71.506476
GNF 8630.000308
GTQ 7.719627
GYD 209.259429
HKD 7.77213
HNL 25.07999
HRK 6.88903
HTG 131.623383
HUF 374.264968
IDR 15717.5
ILS 3.74662
IMP 0.765169
INR 84.11485
IQD 1310
IRR 42092.499831
ISK 136.370285
JEP 0.765169
JMD 158.145895
JOD 0.7091
JPY 151.557964
KES 128.999441
KGS 86.172399
KHR 4075.00016
KMF 450.550257
KPW 899.999774
KRW 1378.902165
KWD 0.306251
KYD 0.833532
KZT 490.419381
LAK 21939.000123
LBP 89550.000571
LKR 293.117372
LRD 190.975023
LSL 17.37994
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.834983
MAD 9.789914
MDL 17.86455
MGA 4615.000257
MKD 56.338738
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3398.000028
MOP 8.00624
MRU 39.906089
MUR 46.029712
MVR 15.409833
MWK 1735.497903
MXN 20.174498
MYR 4.339
MZN 63.875044
NAD 17.369915
NGN 1661.720276
NIO 36.784942
NOK 10.960202
NPR 134.610443
NZD 1.663365
OMR 0.385035
PAB 1.000184
PEN 3.773496
PGK 4.010501
PHP 58.380504
PKR 277.897903
PLN 3.989339
PYG 7821.490516
QAR 3.6405
RON 4.556398
RSD 107.164984
RUB 97.796891
RWF 1365
SAR 3.756625
SBD 8.299327
SCR 13.775987
SDG 601.502522
SEK 10.71165
SGD 1.314815
SHP 0.765169
SLE 22.750097
SLL 20969.496802
SOS 570.999926
SRD 34.905031
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.75203
SYP 2512.530268
SZL 17.370081
THB 33.569502
TJS 10.652473
TMT 3.5
TND 3.088505
TOP 2.342103
TRY 34.295501
TTD 6.784436
TWD 31.836502
TZS 2693.372977
UAH 41.484918
UGX 3672.570432
UYU 41.617341
UZS 12794.999711
VEF 3622552.534434
VES 43.40267
VND 25345
VUV 118.722039
WST 2.801184
XAF 601.96109
XAG 0.029645
XAU 0.000367
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.749381
XOF 602.500947
XPF 109.549684
YER 249.824991
ZAR 17.419795
ZMK 9001.196721
ZMW 26.98082
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    5.4100

    66.41

    +8.15%

  • NGG

    1.0200

    65.47

    +1.56%

  • SCS

    0.0700

    12.32

    +0.57%

  • BCC

    4.2300

    138.49

    +3.05%

  • CMSC

    0.0400

    24.68

    +0.16%

  • RELX

    0.8500

    47.91

    +1.77%

  • CMSD

    0.1200

    25.04

    +0.48%

  • GSK

    0.0500

    37.02

    +0.14%

  • BCE

    -0.2800

    28.84

    -0.97%

  • AZN

    -5.1600

    66.27

    -7.79%

  • RIO

    0.4900

    65.5

    +0.75%

  • RYCEF

    0.2000

    7.3

    +2.74%

  • BTI

    0.3500

    35.46

    +0.99%

  • JRI

    0.1700

    13.27

    +1.28%

  • VOD

    0.0900

    9.41

    +0.96%

  • BP

    0.2300

    29.96

    +0.77%

Liverpool the 'complete' team, says Alonso after Leverkusen humbled
Liverpool the 'complete' team, says Alonso after Leverkusen humbled / Photo: © AFP

Liverpool the 'complete' team, says Alonso after Leverkusen humbled

Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed Liverpool's quality after the German champions were blown away in the second half of a 4-0 loss at Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Text size:

Alonso had been one of the leading candidates to return to his old club when Jurgen Klopp stepped down as manager at the end of last season.

The Spaniard's decision to remain in Germany opened the door for Arne Slot to take charge and the Dutchman is off to a flying start with 14 wins and one draw in his first 16 matches in charge in all competitions.

Liverpool are sitting pretty at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League and have advanced to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

Leverkusen matched the Reds for the opening hour but collapsed after Luis Diaz latched onto Curtis Jones' through ball to open the scoring.

Cody Gakpo quickly headed in a second before Diaz struck twice more in the final 10 minutes for his first Liverpool hat-trick.

"They are a complete team," said Alonso, whose name was chanted by the home fans in the closing stages.

"They are able to defend, to score, to have power in the boxes, keep clean sheets, with not many chances to score goals - that is a great strength in the Champions League.

"They are in a good moment, everything has good balance, the coach is doing great work, so it looks like a great season but we are still in November."

Liverpool were inspired by the atmosphere to come from behind to beat Brighton to go top of the Premier League on Saturday and relied upon a similar boost from the crowd after a flat first half.

Alonso won the Champions League during his five years as a Liverpool player between 2004 and 2009 and said he was powerless to stop that momentum despite his personal experience of the Anfield crowd.

"I know the feeling that the Liverpool players they feel. It is an extra boost, 'now is the moment, now we go'," he added.

"To defend in those moments is not easy. Like what happened to Brighton on Saturday. To put it in words is easy, it's much more difficult on the pitch."

Slot's midas touch saw his decision to start Diaz in an unfamiliar central role up front rewarded as the Colombian scored the first hat-trick of his career.

Diaz has had to battle with Gakpo for a regular starting role this season but is already up to nine goals for the campaign.

"It's a very special moment that I'll remember my whole life," said Diaz.

"They are a very tough opponent. It was about trying to turn the game in any way possible.

"The first goal then opened the game a bit and we were then able to play our game. We had a super second half."

S.Weaver--TFWP