Darwin Núñez strike sinks Leipzig to maintain Liverpool’s perfect start

It is too early to pass judgment on Liverpool’s credentials or the new Champions League format, ­according to Arne Slot. It is not too soon to pass judgment on Slot’s start. Remarkable, with Liverpool’s head coach racking up another win and another record on an unnecessarily complicated night in Leipzig.

For the first time in their ­illustrious history Liverpool have won 11 of the opening 12 games in a season and their first six away matches from the start of a campaign. Their latest came courtesy of a Darwin Núñez tap‑in against the club that will soon be looked over by Jürgen Klopp, Red Bull’s incoming head of global ­soccer, and a few late escapes against a Leipzig team still searching for its first point in the Champions League. Liverpool have nine from a possible nine and are almost already through to the next phase of the competition.

“We should be proud,” Slot said of the two records. “Because so many great teams have worn this shirt and so many great managers have been at the club, so to achieve something that hasn’t been done before is almost impossible and always nice. But there is something that is much nicer than records and you know what I mean by that: trophies.”

Slot was far more impressed with this performance than the win against Chelsea on Sunday, parti­cularly the visitors’ ability to play through the press and ball ­possession. His only complaint was the number of clear chances that were squandered. Leipzig had hope until the end when they could have been out of it by half-time. “It is a pity at the end of a game like that when you need big roles from your two centre-backs and goalkeeper,” Slot said. “A game like that should have been ours after 60-70 minutes.”

There were parallels to the Chelsea performance here. Liverpool again started passively and were dominated by a Leipzig side that carried a greater threat than the visitors to Anfield last Sunday. Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko both missed good early chances. Amadou ­Haidara tested Caoimhín Kelleher from a short corner routine and Sesko curled an ambitious attempt wide after keeping Kelleher’s weak headed clearance in play. Lois Openda did find the top corner with a thumping drive but was clearly offside when receiving the pass from Simons.

Then Liverpool struck, the quality of their front line impossible to contain for too long, and the balance of the game turned in an instant. Cody Gakpo kept his place ahead of Luis Díaz and vindicated Slot’s selection with a fine display. The Netherlands international was involved in the breakthrough, exchanging passes with Kostas Tsimikas who floated a cross from the byline over Castello Lukeba to Mohamed Salah. Salah’s placed header was destined for the far corner but Núñez did what any goalscorer should and made sure with the finishing touch on the line.

Liverpool immediately took control. Núñez should have had a ­second shortly afterwards when Gakpo, released by a superb cross-field ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold, curled a perfect cross towards the Uruguayan with the outside of his foot. The centre-forward connected cleanly but the former Liverpool goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi tipped away his header at point-blank range.

The Leipzig captain, Willi Orban, was fortunate not to concede a ­penalty when he caught Núñez as the striker darted into the area. Orban appeared in two minds whether to commit as Núñez sprinted in from the left but stuck out a leg and caught the forward, who went tumbling off the pitch. But the Swiss referee Sandro Scharer rejected the penalty appeal, and was backed up by VAR. Maybe they thought Núñez had initiated contact. If so, he should have booked the forward, having earlier shown a yellow card to a disbelieving Alexis Mac Allister for an apparent dive. Both Núñez and Mac Allister made their feelings clear to the referee when leaving the pitch at half-time.

Gulacsi rescued Leipzig again early in the second half following more good work by Núñez, clearly an angry man on a mission. Seizing on a loose ball by Benjamin Henrichs, the centre-forward burst to the byline before scuffing a cross that should have been dealt with by Arthur ­Vermeeren and Lukeba. They made a hash of it and allowed the ball to run to the unmarked Gakpo. He seemed certain to score only for Gulacsi to save with an outstretched right leg. The keeper made another good save from Gakpo in the final moments.

Mac Allister struck the crossbar after a smart exchange with the former Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai. Leipzig’s threat was frequently undermined by a poor final ball but, with Simons’s influence growing, the threat of an equaliser persisted. Kelleher repelled the hosts twice in a minute. Alisson’s deputy saved with his legs when Simons presented Sesko with a glorious opportunity then acrobatically tipped over when Simons’s shot almost looped in off Núñez.

Leipzig almost levelled late on when Henrichs forced Kelleher into a low, fingertip save. Openda tapped in the loose ball only to be denied by an offside flag for a second time. Slot started ­making changes with the trip to Arsenal on Sunday in mind, and Liverpool deservedly maintained their 100% record in the Champions League.