Liverpool advanced to the Europa League knockout stages with a 4-0 victory over LASK.

In the 12th minute, Luis Diaz met Joe Gomez’s right-side pass with a diving header, giving the hosts an early first-half lead.

A second goal quickly followed, as stand-in skipper Mohamed Salah set up Cody Gakpo at the far post with a neat ball across the face of goal.

Salah added a third from the penalty spot only five minutes into the second half after the visitors’ goalkeeper Tobias Lawal bundled Gakpo in the area.

Deep into added time, Gakpo completed a dominant performance for Jurgen Klopp’s side by blasting home his second goal of the game in front of The Kop.

The Reds’ easy win, along with Toulouse’s home draw against Union Saint-Gilloise, ensures that they will automatically qualify as Group E leaders.

Anfield’s primary talking points were as follows:

The Reds’ flaws lead to knockouts

Jurgen Klopp was only half correct about the Europa League after all.

The Liverpool manager did not expect his team to breeze through their group stage campaign, and it turned out to be anything but.

However, the easy removal of LASK ensured that Klopp’s mandate to complete qualification for the knockout rounds with plenty of time to spare was properly followed.

This was Liverpool’s tenth consecutive victory at Anfield in all competitions, marking the club’s finest start on home soil since the double-winning season of 1985/86.

Cody Gakpo’s brace also marked the first time in three decades that the Reds had five players with five goals each before the end of the season.

Such statistical anomalies, however, pale in comparison to the reality that Klopp’s team has advanced to the last 16 ahead of schedule and as Group E victors.

Despite the loss to Toulouse, this was a near-perfect qualification route for Liverpool, and the manager would not have it any other way.

Salah is seen differently at Anfield

In Liverpool’s front line, Mohamed Salah seeks to lead by example, but some things proved beyond the mercurial forward’s grasp prior to the Austrian’s arrival.

Regardless of how many goal-scoring records he breaks, the Egyptian has fallen short in other aspects in his quest to be a dominant all-rounder.

Serving as stand-in captain has been a source of concern since he complained about being passed over for a Champions League dead rubber in 2020.

On Thursday, with the armband in his control from the start for the first time, the Anfield faithful were exposed to a totally different side of Salah.

During a first half in which the hosts could have had more than a two-goal lead, he was more of a provider than a poacher.

Little changed after the break, either, with the exception of stepping up to convert a 50th-minute penalty, which brought him one goal closer to 200 in a red jersey.

Klopp will surely prefer to see his talisman strike rather than tee, but Salah’s captaincy appearance adds another string to his bow.

Kelleher prepared to fill the hole

The news of Alisson’s injury threatened to overshadow Liverpool.

The Brazil international’s hamstring injury, which he suffered at Manchester City, could not have come at a worse moment.

Fortunately, Klopp has a capable deputy in Caoimhin Kelleher, who was given a training drill late in the second half by LASK.

When they eventually saw the goal, the visitors decided to give the Republic of Ireland an early warm-up by putting him to work.

First, Ibrahim Mustapha attempted to round him on a counterattack but was unable to do so because his opponent narrowed the angle wonderfully.

Moses Usor and Robert Zulj also failed to beat Kelleher, who displayed quick reflexes to deny both from close range late in the game.

With Fulham on the horizon, it was a worthwhile practice that raises hopes that the 25-year-old can manage the strain as Liverpool’s interim No.1.