Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning second-half strike helped Liverpool come from behind to beat Leicester City in the Carabao Cup third round.
Kasey McAteer gave Leicester the lead just three minutes in as the Championship leaders hit their Premier League hosts on the counter-attack.
Liverpool pushed hard for a leveller, with youngsters Harvey Elliott and Ben Doak rattling the woodwork and Jarell Quansah thwarted by Jakub Stolarczyk.
Cody Gakpo was the man who got the Reds’ equaliser with a well-taken finish just after half-time, having earlier been denied by Conor Coady’s goalline clearance.
It was then the Dutch forward’s turn to strike the woodwork, as his header hit the bar following good build-up play from Doak and Elliott.
Szoboszlai edged Liverpool ahead when, moments after being introduced as a second-half substitute, he arrowed an unstoppable shot in off the crossbar.
Leicester looked to respond as they sought a first victory at Anfield since 2000, but incessant pressure from the hosts eventually told with a third goal.
A nonchalant flick from Diogo Jota put the result beyond doubt as the 2022 winners reached the fourth round.
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 17JonesSubstituted forBajceticat 79′minutes
- 5Konaté
- 78Quansah
- 21TsimikasSubstituted forChambersat 90+1′minutes
- 19Elliott
- 3EndoBooked at 86mins
- 38GravenberchSubstituted forNúñezat 65′minutes
- 50DoakSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 65′minutes
- 18Gakpo
- 20Jota
Substitutes
- 4van Dijk
- 7Díaz
- 8Szoboszlai
- 9Núñez
- 10Mac Allister
- 13Adrián
- 32Matip
- 43Bajcetic
- 44Chambers
Leicester
Formation 4-3-3
- 41Stolarczyk
- 21Ricardo PereiraBooked at 23mins
- 15Souttar
- 4Coady
- 2Justin
- 29AkgünSubstituted forDewsbury-Hallat 65′minutes
- 17ChoudhuryBooked at 45mins
- 7CasadeiSubstituted forNdidiat 57′minutes
- 11AlbrightonSubstituted forFatawuat 64′minutes
- 14IheanachoSubstituted forDakaat 64′minutes
- 35McAteer
Substitutes
- 3Faes
- 8Winks
- 10Mavididi
- 18Fatawu
- 20Daka
- 22Dewsbury-Hall
- 23Vestergaard
- 25Ndidi
- 30Hermansen
- Referee:
- Tim Robinson
- Attendance:
- 49,732
Live Text
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Match ends, Liverpool 3, Leicester City 1.
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Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Leicester City 1.
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Attempt blocked. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) left footed shot from very close range is blocked.
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Attempt saved. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Attempt blocked. Abdul Fatawu (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hamza Choudhury.
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Foul by Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool).
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Kasey McAteer (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Darwin Núñez (Liverpool).
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Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
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Foul by Diogo Jota (Liverpool).
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Hamza Choudhury (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Cody Gakpo (Liverpool).
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Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Luke Chambers replaces Kostas Tsimikas.
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Goal! Liverpool 3, Leicester City 1. Diogo Jota (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jarell Quansah.
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Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City).
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Attempt missed. Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Stefan Bajcetic.
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Wataru Endo (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.