Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's 2 Goals Lift Liverpool Past Racing Genk in UCL

Liverpool made it two-straight wins in Group E of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League after beating Genk 4-1 at the Luminus Arena on Wednesday night.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice for the holders, before Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah added to the tally. Stephen Odey grabbed an 88th-minute consolation for Genk, but the Reds have got their campaign back on track after losing at Napoli in their opening group game.

The Reds played within themselves but still dominated the first half after Oxlade-Chamberlain had struck in the second minute.

It was a well-taken goal by the former Arsenal man, showcasing his running power and accurate shooting from distance. Those qualities continually left Genk midfielders and defenders chasing shadows.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was also ably supported by a stellar display by Georginio Wijnaldum. The Netherlands international brought craft, vision and strength to the heart of the engine room.

Yet even with total ownership in the middle of the park, the visitors were unable to double their tally before the break.

Fortunately for them, Oxlade-Chamberlain found his range again 12 minutes after the restart. The 26-year-old produced a deft finish, prodding into the top corner after some fine work from left-back Andy Robertson on the overlap and a neat touch from classy No.9 Roberto Firmino.

Buoyed by such a slick display of attacking football, the Reds were even better when Mane found the net 20 minutes later. Wijnaldum worked the ball to Firmino, who teed up Salah, and the Egyptian nudged the ball into Mane's path to proceed a sweet finish.

The roles were reversed when Mane played Salah in three minutes before time. Salah rolled his marker brilliantly and finished with the minimum amount of fuss.

Liverpool's flair going forward had been a joy to watch, and not even Odey's late strike could take the gloss off a terrific performance away from home. On this evidence the holders have enough quality to retain the trophy.

What's Next?

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday, while Genk host Cercle Brugge in the Belgian Pro League a day earlier.