Diamonds shine bright in UCL opener

Klopp hails Liverpool's 'outstanding' display in rampant Rangers rout

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed his team's "outstanding" display as they thrashed Rangers 7-1 in their Champions League opener at Ibrox on Tuesday.

The Reds were in scintillating form from the start and raced into a 3-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes, with goals from Roberto Firmino, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah.

Rangers pulled one back through Scott Arfield, but Liverpool were relentless and added four more goals after the break through Firmino, Nunez and Salah (2).

Liverpool make a statement in emphatic Rangers win

Liverpool made a statement of intent in the Champions League with an emphatic 7-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox on Tuesday.

The Reds were in irresistible form throughout the match and could have won by an even bigger margin.

Jurgen Klopp's side are now top of Group A after Napoli's 4-1 win over Ajax in the other match.

Liverpool's front three in stunning form

Liverpool's front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez were in stunning form against Rangers.

The trio combined for six of the Reds' seven goals, with Salah scoring twice and Firmino and Nunez both getting on the scoresheet.

It was a performance that will have sent a warning to Liverpool's rivals in the Champions League.

Liverpool's midfield dominance

Liverpool's midfield trio of Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson controlled the game against Rangers.

The trio dictated the tempo of the match and made it difficult for Rangers to get a foothold in the game.

Thiago, in particular, was outstanding and showed why he is one of the best midfielders in the world.

Liverpool's defence solid

Liverpool's defence was also solid against Rangers.

Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip were imperious at the back and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were excellent going forward.

The Reds kept Rangers at bay for most of the match and deserved their clean sheet.

Liverpool's Champions League hopes boosted

Liverpool's emphatic win over Rangers has boosted their hopes of winning the Champions League this season.

The Reds are now top of Group A and will be confident of reaching the knockout stages.

If they can continue to perform at this level, they will be a major threat to any team in the competition.

Here are some of the key stats from Liverpool's 7-1 win over Rangers:

• Liverpool had 67% possession
• Liverpool had 26 shots to Rangers' 12
• Liverpool had 10 shots on target to Rangers' 4
• Mohamed Salah scored his 38th Champions League goal, moving him into the top 10 all-time scorers in the competition

Liverpool's next Champions League match is at home to Napoli on September 13.