“You shouldn’t return to places where you were once happy,” sang Joaquín Sabina. This quote fits well with Xabi Alonso, one of the heroes of that legendary night in Istanbul 19 years ago, when he scored the penalty that tied the game 3-3 against AC Milan. 

His return to Anfield wasn’t what he would have hoped for, as his Bayer Leverkusen suffered a 4-0 loss to Liverpool, highlighted by a hat trick from Luis Díaz.

Xabi Alonso was met with a lukewarm reception at Anfield, where some fans still remember that he pushed for a transfer to Real Madrid in 2009. Although he had previously returned for legends’ games, this time was a much more serious occasion: facing Liverpool in an official competition.

Liverpool, now under Arne Slot, has had the best start to a season in their history. Leverkusen, on the other hand, no longer seems like the unstoppable team they were last season. Without that confidence, the German team tried to play a tight, defensive game to block Liverpool’s counterattacks, which also limited their own scoring chances. They managed to keep the score 0-0 by halftime.

The game changed when Curtis Jones sent a pass that left Luis Díaz one-on-one with goalkeeper Hradecky. The Colombian chipped the ball over him to open the scoring. This rattled Leverkusen, who hadn’t yet recovered when Mohamed Salah, using his “weaker” right foot, delivered a perfect cross to Gakpo, who scored the second goal, initially reviewed by VAR.

Luis Díaz wasn’t finished. In another cross from Salah, the Colombian beat the defense and scored his second goal of the night. Anfield roared, chanting his name: “Luis Díaz, comes from Barrancas and plays for Liverpool.” The celebration reached a peak when Díaz scored his third goal in stoppage time, finishing off a counterattack led by Darwin Núñez. 

This win puts Liverpool at the top of the table with four wins in four games. Leverkusen, with seven out of a possible twelve points, sits in eleventh place, looking to improve their performance.