Job very much done. Liverpool romped their way into the last eight of the Champions League by thumping Galatasaray 4-0 in their round of 16 second leg clash on Wednesday evening.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah all found the target as the Reds wiped out last week's 1-0 defeat in Istanbul to set up a tie against holders Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
It made for a very satisfying night. And while the ECHO was in attendance and provided our usual level of coverage, here's how the national media viewed an impressive result for Arne Slot's side.
Paul Joyce, formerly of this parish, wrote in The Times about how Liverpool have now set the template for the remainder of their season.
"Just three days after displaying against Spurs so many of the frailties which have threatened to derail their entire season, Liverpool performed with an energy, self-belief and swagger to swat Galatasaray contemptuously aside," he says.
"Arne Slot would be the first to admit displays such as these have been few and far between, but this was an occasion when his side were all anyone has ever wanted them to be.
"It was also an exhibition of the fast, flowing football he actually wants his side to play. Of course, if there was a frustration, together with the fact that the scoreline could have been doubled, it is that it had taken a dramatic downturn in the first place to summon such an intoxicating response.
"Galatasaray’s limitations were exposed and in doing so the synergy between the hosts and their supporters was restored. It is up to Slot’s players now to ensure it remains in place."
Andy Hunter, another ex-ECHO employee, picked up on the same theme in The Guardian.
"Dominik Szoboszlai led the charge as the Hungary captain has done throughout a season that could culminate in a final in Budapest," he opines. "His fine opening goal levelled the tie on aggregate and convinced Liverpool of their superiority over opponents who have beaten them twice in Istanbul this season, but wilt without the raucous backing of Ali Sami Yen Stadium.
"Collectively, this must be the benchmark for what remains of a trying campaign. Anfield was more partisan than usual with Galatasaray fans banned from the second leg following trouble away at Juventus in the playoff round. It did not take Liverpool long to assert their authority. Galatasaray were even quicker with the theatrics and time-wasting tactics."
Richard Jolly of The Independent pointed out the impact of Mohamed Salah and a return to former glories.
"The Dutchman switched tactics, to something of a 4-4-2, and the team changed tack," he scribes. "This was much better. This was one of their best displays of the campaign.
"If it was like the Liverpool of old, what could have shaped up as further evidence of Mohamed Salah’s decline instead became a cathartic evening for him. His was a throwback performance. At half-time, when Liverpool’s dominance was not reflected by a one-goal lead, there was the possibility Salah’s missed penalty would cost them.
"This threatened to be his last European game for Liverpool until he had a part in three goals in 11 minutes, capped gloriously."
Lewis Steele, tapping away for the Daily Mail, highlighted the impact of the Anfield crowd on the match.
"Arne Slot, who has been ridiculed by some sections of the fanbase in recent weeks, was a man on a mission," he writes. "He was more animated than ever before, proverbially kicking every ball on the touchline and gesticulating wildly as if he had downed 10 energy drinks in the dressing room.
"There was a marked difference in the stands, too. A missed chance where a player should really do better has sometimes prompted a negative reaction, whereas here it sparked one of encouragement. Do that again and it will end up in the goal, they thought.
"Anfield’s atmosphere and negativity has been heavily criticised in recent weeks with players themselves aggrieved but, as always: if they put in the effort and play with this intensity, the crowd will always get behind the team and back them all the way."
Finally, the tall man Paul Gorst wrote in the ECHO about how the old ground was able to flex its muscles once again.
"For a club whose European exploits are woven into its fabric, it's been far too long since Anfield enjoyed a Champions League night like this," he says. "It's been nearly four years, in fact, since Liverpool last won a Champions League knockout game at home and those 'famous nights' the regulars here boast about have been quietly in danger of becoming consigned to history as a result.
"And while this comfortable 4-0 victory over an obstinate but ordinary Galatasaray won't stand the test of time like some of the genuinely extraordinary nights over the years, there was enough stardust sprinkled around to remind those who might have needed it of what can be produced at this ground on these sorts of occasions."
