Liverpool assured a place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Manchester City.

The hosts took an early lead as Raheem Sterling teed up Gabriel Jesus inside two minutes to give Pep Guardiola’s side hopes of a second-leg comeback.

But Mohamed Salah pulled the Reds level in the match and extended their aggregate lead when he slotted home before the hour mark.

Roberto Firmino further safeguarded Anfield’s place in the semi-finals with a well-taken finish after he had dispossesed City defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Here were the key talking points from the Etihad Stadium:

Reds overpower the storm

 

For 45 minutes at least, Jurgen Klopp’s warning about Liverpool facing a ‘thunderstorm’ at the Etihad Stadium had started to ring true.

Manchester City knew that their only option was to swarm the visitors from the outset and an early first-half lead appeared to be their just reward.

But that was all it ultimately proved to be.

Although City could argue that they should have been more than one goal ahead at the break, the Reds’ ability to regroup was the overriding triumph.

Complacency does not sit easily with Klopp’s side, as recent history has shown, and the risk of capitulation was always a genuine prospect here.

Instead they comfortably weathered, and ultimately overpowered, the storm.

Gini finds his true calling

 

Often in his Liverpool tenure, Klopp has favoured unconventional roles.

He has regularly deployed James Milner at left-back and did not hesitate in moving Philippe Coutinho back into midfield on occasion.

But Georginio Wijnaldum’s shift into a holding role may be his greatest left-field move on the back of successive outings against City and Everton.

At the Etihad, the Holland international overcame a poor first half to anchor the midfield and allow Liverpool to push further up the pitch after the interval.

By his own admission, the level of responsibility which comes with operating in the new position is one which Wijnaldum has fully embraced.

It seems, after almost two years at Anfield, he has finally found his true calling.

Salah closes in on Rushie’s throne

 

In more ways than one, Mohamed Salah is making inroads on Ian Rush’s sceptre.

The Egyptian’s debut season is destined to go down in Liverpool folklore if he manages to equal – and even beat – Rush’s 47 goals in a single campaign.

But there is far more to emulating greatness than sheer numbers for Salah.

Chances proved limited against City but he only required one to pull his side level and record a 39th goal of the season in all competitions.

Rush fashioned a reputation from ruthlessly capitalising on what few opportunities came his way in the more close-run encounters.

Anfield’s original goal king may finally have some overdue company.

Bring on your Roma by the score

 

Life could again imitate art in Friday’s Champions League semi-final draw.

Chants of ‘Bring on your Roma by the score’ rang out at the Etihad as Klopp’s side eased into the last four of Europe’s elite club competition.

They could conceivably face Salah’s former club in the next round after they staged an unlikely fightback to dump out one of the favourites in Barcelona.

Even the prospect of meeting Bayern Munich or Real Madrid should not fill Liverpool with any undue levels of trepidation as they have done in the past.

On the current evidence, no one in Europe should hold any fears for this side.