Liverpool were victorious in their first-ever meeting with Rangers on Tuesday night at Anfield. The Reds won 2-0 on a first half free kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold and a second-half penalty taken by Mohamed Salah. It was a tidy effort for Liverpool who needed the win.

Liverpool was in total control of their Scottish opposition from the opening kick. They now stand alone in 2nd place in Group A of the Champions League. Tonight's match was their best in the Champions League by far this season. 

It was a good response by the Reds after their draw against Brighton this past Saturday, in the Premier League. Liverpool played with a purpose all night long, pressing Rangers at every opportunity. They will need to keep the level of play this high going into the match against Arsenal this weekend. 

First Half

Liverpool started off the match absolutely dominating ball possession. They barely gave Rangers a look at the ball in the opening minutes. Liverpool would get on the scoreboard early in this match. Trent Alexander-Arnold would scorch a free kick into the top left corner in the 7th minute. It is Trent's 3rd goal of the season and a direct answer to his critics from the weekend. 

Alexander-Arnold seemed to relish the goal for a moment but, the Reds knew they couldn't be satisfied with a 1-0 less than 10 minutes in. Liverpool were totally dominant in the first half of the match. Liverpool ended up with 70 percent possession and 7 chances on goal in the opening half but could only get one into the Rangers' goal.

It was good to see Darwin Núñez back in the Liverpool team. He didn't manage to score but, he was very active from the first kick. The Uruguayan striker had four great chances in the half, including an absolutely golden opportunity in the 41st minute. All of them required good saves by Rangers' keeper Allan McGregor. 

Second Half

Liverpool continued their dominance of the Scottish club from halftime. It didn't take long for the Reds to double their advantage through a Mohamed Salah penalty in the 53rd minute. Luis Díaz drew the penalty with a charging run into the box.

Salah smashed the penalty right down the middle of the goal for his 47th European goal. It was his 161st goal for Liverpool in all competitions. The Reds missed a few more golden opportunities for more goals in the half but, overall they gave a great offensive effort for 90 minutes tonight. 

To their credit, Rangers didn't go away. They had two great chances after the 85th minute, including one that needed to be cleared off the line by Kostas Tsimikas. Rangers showed a little more effort in the 2nd half but, Liverpool controlled this match from the beginning. Even with the slight hiccups near the end, Liverpool also controlled the narrative on the defensive side of the ball tonight.

Goals

Liverpool- Alexander-Arnold 7', Salah 53'

Rangers- None

Substitutes

Liverpool - Firmino for Jota 69', Fabinho for Henderson 70', Elliott for Núñez 80', Milner for Thiago 81', Alexander-Arnold for Gomez in the 90+3

Rangers - Sakala for Tillman 66', Jack for Davies 66', Colak for Morelos 73', Kamara for Davies 81' Matondo for Kent 81'

Cards

Liverpool- Yellow- Alexander-Arnold 90+3'

Rangers- Yellow- Lundstram 37'

LFC Globe Verdict

This was a solid win for Liverpool to build on. It was their most complete win in not just the Champions League this year, but maybe the entire season so far. The pressing offence was back, and if it weren't for McGregor, the Reds would have had more goals.

Jürgen Klopp's changes to the attack clearly helped the Reds keep the pressure on the Rangers all night. Núñez didn't score but, it shouldn't be harped upon. He had nearly a half dozen good chances at goal and getting him into the flow of the offence was the most important thing. 

Almost as important was their effort on the defensive end. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a stand-out game, not just for his classy goal but for his calm work on the backline tonight. Overall it was a good night's work for the Merseysiders.

Man of the Match and What's Next

I want to give this Man of the Match to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The kid showed up tonight and put a performance together that answered his critics. His first-half goal was awesome and his play on the defensive end was also very good.

The Reds are right back at it on Sunday afternoon against Arsenal in London. It will be a tough game for Liverpool, as the Gunners are in a form that we haven't seen in nearly 20 years. Kick-off is at 16:30 BST from the Emirates Stadium and will be must-see TV. 
The return fixture of tonight's match with be in Glasgow next week. Kick-off will be at 20:00 BST from Ibrox on Wednesday, October 12th.