Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his return to the Champions League arena with two superb goals as Liverpool claimed their first group stage win on the road for two years with a 4-1 triumph at Belgian club Racing Genk on Wednesday.
It was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests but two sublime finishes by Oxlade-Chamberlain, playing his first game in the competition since suffering a serious knee injury in the semi-final against Roma 18 months ago, put Liverpool in control before Sadio Mane and Mo Salah sealed the points.
Victory lifted Liverpool to six points, one behind Group E leaders Napoli.
While the evening began on a sour note when a banner depicting striker Divock Origi was removed from the away end with Liverpool condemning it as racist.
Liverpool had not won away from home in group play since a 7-0 win in Maribor two years ago but ended that sequence in emphatic fashion with a clinical display of firepower.
ROAD VICTORY: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is congratulated by teammates in their first group stage victory in two years. Picture: Francisco Seco/AP.
"I've definitely missed (the Champions League)," Oxlade-Chamberlain, who sat out almost the whole of last season, said. "It's nice to be back in the starting line-up and put in a performance to help the team."
It took them only two minutes for Oxlade-Chamberlain to make his mark. Receiving the ball just outside the area in a central position he took aim and fired a low shot inside the post.
FLATTERING: Sadio Mane, left, vies for the ball against Genk's Joakim Maehle. Picture: Francisco Seco/AP.
Genk, who held Napoli to a 0-0 draw on matchday two after a 6-2 thrashing by Salzburg, were not about to roll over and their pace caused several alarms in the Liverpool defence. Genk eventually got a late consolation through Stephen Odey.
Genk were still on the hunt throughout the game but Oxlade-Chamberlain gave Liverpool breathing space in the 57th minute with a goal of supreme skill.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/Alex_OxChambo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Alex_OxChambo🙌
A message from Ox after his brace tonight 👊🔴 pic.twitter.com/onxQ5D2Up0
— Liverpool FC (@LFC)
Mane gave the scoreline a rather flattering look when he finished off a superb move after 77 minutes and Salah rubbed salt into the hosts' wounds with a silky turn and deft finish as Genk finally began to run out of steam.
Liverpool's win made it a full house for the four English clubs in Champions League action this week with Chelsea winning earlier and Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
Reuters