Diaz hat-trick fires Liverpool past Leverkusen
Luis Diaz scored a second-half hat-trick for Liverpool in its 4-0 victory at home to Bayer Leverkusen as it maintained its 100 percent start to its Champions League campaign.
Arne Slot's side lead the 36-team league within Europe's main competition after the result, with only Aston Villa alongside it as the only other club to have won every game. It plays Club Brugge on Thursday in its fourth match.
Back in Liverpool, things got off to a slow start with the scores level until the 61st minute. Diaz lifted the ball over goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to get things moving before Cody Gakpo made it two just two minutes later.
Gakpo's goal was initially ruled offside by the on-field official, though was overturned after a VAR review.
Diaz then scored his second and Liverpool's third of the night in the 83rd minute after picking up Mohamed Salah's cross and slotting past Hradecky. The Colombian rounded things off deep into stoppage time with a tap in from close range.
The result leaves Leverkusen 11th in the table with seven points, having tasted its first defeat of the competition at Anfield.
Liverpool is now top of both the Champions League standings and the Premier League and continue to go from strength to strength under Slot.
Diaz, meanwhile, has now scored nine goals in 15 matches in all competitions.
