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Divock Origi's winner was his first Champions League goal since the 2019 finalLiverpool became the first English side to win all six Champions League group games as they completed a perfect journey into the knockout stage with victory over AC Milan in Italy.
Manager Jurgen Klopp made eight changes with qualification for the last 16 already assured as group winners, while the Serie A leaders went in search of the win they hoped would secure their own passage into the next phase.
Milan's hopes rose on the half-hour when Takumi Minamino missed a near-post corner and goalkeeper Alisson could only push the ball out to England defender Fikayo Tomori, who scored from close range.
Liverpool's line-up may have had an unfamiliar appearance but they were by far the more accomplished side. Mohamed Salah was in the starting line-up and once again demonstrated his predatory instincts with the equaliser seven minutes later, driving home the rebound after Milan keeper Mike Maignan saved from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
It meant the prolific Salah became the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to score 20 goals in five successive seasons, also scoring the most goals for the club in the group stage of a European competition with seven.
Liverpool continued to dominate and Divock Origi scored his first goal in the competition since the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham when he headed in after Maignan saved from Mane 10 minutes after the break.
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Liverpool's smooth progress
When the draw for Champions League Group B was made, it was regarded as one of the toughest sections as Liverpool faced Atletico Madrid, Porto and AC Milan. Instead, they made a mockery of suggestions this could be a tight squeeze by ending with an astonishing 11-point advantage over second-placed Atletico, who beat Porto to go through with them.
Liverpool are now so well-oiled a machine that Klopp could change the face of his team to such an extent after Saturday's win at Wolves and still put out a side that looked dangerous, well-organised and far too good for one of European football's biggest names.
Nathaniel Phillips slotted smoothly into defence with Virgil van Dijk left out and, apart from the goal and a late save from Franck Kessie, Liverpool and keeper Alisson survived virtually untroubled, looking far more likely to add to their advantage than concede another goal.
It was another graphic demonstration of the power of the Premier League as Milan, who head Serie A, were outmanoeuvred with ease by a Liverpool side bearing little resemblance to their full-strength team.
Liverpool will enter the last 16 as one of the most feared teams in the tournament, with their biggest threats appearing to come from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, along with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Klopp and his players, however, will progress with real confidence that they can once again make it into the latter stages of the Champions League after this latest show of strength.
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AC Milan
Squad number16Player nameMaignan
Squad number20Player nameKalulu
Squad number23Player nameTomori
Squad number13Player nameRomagnoli
Squad number19Player nameHernández
Squad number8Player nameTonali
Squad number79Player nameKessié
Squad number30Player nameMessias
Squad number10Player nameDíaz
Squad number33Player nameKrunic
Squad number11Player nameIbrahimovic
Squad number4Player nameBennacer
Squad number25Player nameFlorenzi
Squad number41Player nameBakayoko
Squad number56Player nameSaelemaekers
Liverpool
Squad number1Player nameAlisson- Squad number76Player nameN Williams
- Squad number47Player namePhillips
- Squad number5Player nameKonaté
- Squad number21Player nameTsimikas
Squad number15Player nameOxlade-Chamberlain- Squad number80Player nameMorton
- Squad number18Player nameMinamino
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah- Squad number27Player nameOrigi
Squad number10Player nameMané
- Squad number3Player nameFabinho
- Squad number8Player nameKeïta
Squad number12Player nameGomez- Squad number82Player nameWoltman
- Squad number84Player nameBradley
Line-ups
AC Milan
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 16Maignan
- 20KaluluSubstituted forFlorenziat 65'minutes
- 23Tomori
- 13Romagnoli
- 19Hernández
- 8TonaliSubstituted forSaelemaekersat 59'minutes
- 79Kessié
- 30Messias
- 10DíazSubstituted forBennacerat 59'minutes
- 33KrunicSubstituted forBakayokoat 83'minutes
- 11Ibrahimovic
Substitutes
- 1Tatarusanu
- 4Bennacer
- 5Ballo-Touré
- 25Florenzi
- 27Maldini
- 41Bakayoko
- 46Gabbia
- 56Saelemaekers
- 96Jungdal
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 76N WilliamsSubstituted forBradleyat 90+3'minutes
- 47Phillips
- 5Konaté
- 21Tsimikas
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 80Morton
- 18MinaminoSubstituted forWoltmanat 90+3'minutes
- 11SalahSubstituted forKeïtaat 64'minutes
- 27OrigiSubstituted forFabinhoat 80'minutes
- 10ManéSubstituted forGomezat 65'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Fabinho
- 8Keïta
- 12Gomez
- 26Robertson
- 32Matip
- 45Dixon-Bonner
- 62Kelleher
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 77Norris
- 82Woltman
- 84Bradley
- 95Davies
Live Text
Match ends, AC Milan 1, Liverpool 2.
Second Half ends, AC Milan 1, Liverpool 2.
Attempt blocked. Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alessio Romagnoli.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool).
Ismaël Bennacer (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Liverpool. Conor Bradley replaces Neco Williams.
Substitution, Liverpool. Max Woltman replaces Takumi Minamino.
Attempt missed. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Naby Keïta following a fast break.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ismaël Bennacer (AC Milan).
Foul by Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool).
Franck Kessié (AC Milan) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Franck Kessié (AC Milan) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ismaël Bennacer with a cross following a set piece situation.
Foul by Nathaniel Phillips (Liverpool).
Theo Hernández (AC Milan) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt saved. Franck Kessié (AC Milan) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tiemoué Bakayoko with a through ball.
Attempt missed. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Franck Kessié with a cross.
Foul by Takumi Minamino (Liverpool).
Alessandro Florenzi (AC Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, AC Milan. Ismaël Bennacer tries a through ball, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is caught offside.
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