Jurgen Klopp hailed a "special" performance from record-breaking Mohamed Salah as Liverpool roared to a sensational 7-1 Champions League win over Rangers on Wednesday.
Salah came off the substitutes' bench to fire home a hat-trick in just six minutes and 12 seconds – the fastest ever in Champions League history.
A Roberto Firmino brace and a fine strike from Darwin Nunez had earlier overturned Scott Arfield's opener for Rangers, while Harvey Elliott added a seventh after Salah's quick-fire treble.
The win means Liverpool need just a point from their final two Group A games against Ajax and Napoli to qualify for the knockout stages, and Klopp was delighted with his side's display.
"We had a really positive half-time talk. We wanted more in the second half. Clearly, it worked out," he told BT Sport.
"It was special, particularly Mo. It was very important how we adapted to the positions, to the line-up. Everyone who started tonight played really well. Fabio [Carvalho] and Harvey, really good.
"It's the best we could have asked for. I'm really pleased.
"I really think the first half prepared the second half. When we are on it, we can be a really good football team. We built on the good things from the first half, we kept them moving and obviously they had to change the centre-half.
"The goals we scored were exceptional. It's a night where things worked out for us. It changes the mood definitely, and that's good.
"We all know who is coming on Sunday [Manchester City]. That will be different, but it's better to go in with the feeling from tonight."
Rangers, meanwhile, were left to a rue a fourth consecutive defeat in this season's competition.
They sit rock bottom of Group A, three points adrift of Ajax, with boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst left to lament his side's inability to stem the Liverpool tide in the second half.
"It was a very disappointing result. We played well first half and were in the game," he said.
"The second goal, we know their strength. When you lose the ball in the middle of the pitch they are so fast on transition. We got caught a couple of times.
"We conceded too many easy goals. It went pretty quickly after that. We tried to push, but after the 3-1 you could see we were struggling. They upped the tempo and we weren't accurate in our passing."
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football
Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.
The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.
She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.
"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."
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