Liverpool vs Stoke City. Premier League.
AnfieldAttendance43,688.
Sunday 10 April 2016 22:58, UK
Divock Origi came off the bench to score twice as Liverpool thumped Stoke 4-1 in the Premier League at Anfield on Sunday.
Alberto Moreno gave Liverpool an early lead, but Bojan Krkic levelled the game for Stoke shortly afterwards.
Daniel Sturridge then put Liverpool back in front after 32 minutes, and Origi netted twice more after the break.
It was the perfect result for Jurgen Klopp's side, who can now turn their attention to the visit of Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Liverpool took the lead after eight minutes thanks to the quick-thinking of James Milner. The home side won a free-kick out wide and, with Stoke trying to organise themselves, he gave it quickly to Moreno, who took a touch before hammering the ball in from 25 yards.
The lead lasted just 14 minutes, though, as Liverpool's inability to defend set-pieces came to the fore once again. Xherdan Shaqiri whipped an excellent ball into the penalty area, and Bojan was left with far too much space in the middle to head past Simon Mignolet.
Stoke had the ball in the net again five minutes later but Peter Crouch, making a rare start up front for the Potters, was in an offside position as he nodded in Erik Pieters' cross from close range.
Sturridge then put Liverpool back in front just after the half-hour mark, but the goal was all about Sheyi Ojo.
The 18-year-old received the ball on the left, beat Shaqiri with a bit of pace and trickery before sending a teasing cross over to Sturridge at the far post, who happily headed in from point-blank range.
Stoke pushed again for an equaliser, with Ryan Shawcross heading just wide from Shaqiri's free-kick and Gianelli Imbula stinging the palms of Mignolet with a long-range effort.
Klopp made a change at half-time, throwing on Origi for Ojo, and the substitution paid immediate dividends.
After 50 minutes Origi, who netted against Dortmund in midweek, was on the scoresheet again heading past Jakob Haugaard from Milner's cross while unmarked in the six-yard box.
And his week got even better on 65 minutes as he notched his second of the afternoon, beating Phil Bardsley far too easily on the left before heading inside and fizzing a shot into the bottom corner.
The goal effectively killed the game off, and there was very little action at either end for the final 25 minutes as Liverpool cruised towards the three points that lifted them above Stoke into eighth in the table.
Player ratings
Liverpool: Mignolet (6), Clyne (7), Toure (6), Skrtel (6), Moreno (8), Allen (7), Milner (8), Stewart (6), Ojo (7), Firmino (6), Sturridge (7)
Subs: Lallana (5), Lucas (5), Origi (8)
Stoke: Haugaard (4), Bardsley (3), Pieters (4), Shawcross (4), Wollscheid (4), Cameron (4), Imbula (5), Shaqiri (6), Afellay (5), Bojan (6), Crouch (5)
Subs: Muniesa (n/a), Joselu (5), Diouf (5)
Man of the match: Alberto Moreno
