- Snow seen on Mount Fuji after record time without
- Ohtani has surgery on injured shoulder - Dodgers
- Pop-up concerts try to soothe anxious voters as US goes to polls
- Sporting's rout of Man City doesn't guarantee success with Man Utd: Amorim
- Top Mexican court nixes bid to invalidate election of judges
- FBI warns of hoax bomb threats from Russia at US voting sites
- Liverpool the 'complete' team, says Alonso after Leverkusen humbled
- Sporting stun Man City in Champions League as Liverpool, Milan claim fine wins
- 'Like a little boy': Uruguay's Forlan on his tennis pro debut
- Man City in a 'dark place' but Guardiola vows to solve the crisis
- Substitute Malen's late strike lifts Dortmund past Sturm Graz
- Lille deny Juventus in Champions League stalemate
- NBA suspends Embiid three games for shoving journalist
- Thousands in Tel Aviv protest Israel defence minister's sacking
- Kehrer snatches late Champions League win for Monaco at Bologna
- Celtic inflict more Champions League pain on Leipzig
- AC Milan topple Champions League holders Real Madrid
- Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso's return to Anfield
- Amorim's Sporting crush Man City as Gyokeres hits hat-trick
- German's family doesn't 'trust anything' said by Iran on his death: daughter
- Thousands protest in Serbian city over fatal roof collapse
- Harris or Trump? Millions vote in tense, tight US election
- What we know about the soldiers 'held hostage' by Bolivia demonstrators
- Israel's Netanyahu fires defence minister over 'trust' breakdown
- Ronaldo strikes as Al Nassr thump Al Ain in AFC Champions League
- Emery challenges Villa to seize Champions League chance
- Spain unveils $11 bn aid plan after catastrophic floods
- Concern grows for Iran woman detained over underwear protest
- Cowboys' Prescott 'likely' to land on injured reserve - Jones
- Amid injury concerns Davis says Lakers must be better
- US writes off over $1 billion of Somalia debt
- Gauff beats Swiatek to reach last four of WTA Finals
- French court jails 18 members of Channel people smuggling gang
- Scotland's Graham ruled out of South Africa showdown
- Flamengo striker Bruno Henrique probed in Brazil betting scandal
- Stock markets climb, dollar dips as US votes
- Gazans want new US president to end the war
- Bayern feel 'drama' after poor Champions League start, says Kompany
- England name unchanged team for Australia clash
- Davis Cup aiming for 'special' Nadal retirement celebration
- Inzaghi hints at Inter Milan turnover for Arsenal clash
- Germany arrests eight members of far-right paramilitary group
- French women 'stunned' as partners accused in mass rape trial
- US September trade deficit widest in over two years
- Krejcikova ends Pegula's last-four hopes at WTA Finals
- Reform row puts Mexico at risk of 'constitutional crisis'
- Manchester United fans in favour of leaving Old Trafford
- Saudi Aramco's quarterly profit drops 15% on low oil prices
- Kenya court jails Olympian Kiplagat's killers for 35 years
- Dutch, French authorities raid Netflix offices in tax probe
Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso's return to Anfield
Xabi Alonso endured a miserable return to Anfield as Liverpool thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Tuesday, thanks to a Luis Diaz hat-trick, to go top of the Champions League table.
Cody Gakpo was also on target as the Reds maintained their 100 percent record in Europe after four games.
Alonso, a Champions League winner during his playing days in the Liverpool midfield, turned his back on succeeding Jurgen Klopp to remain at Leverkusen after leading them to an unbeaten German league and cup double last season.
Liverpool, though, are not left wondering what might have been as Arne Slot continued his stunning start as manager with a 14th win in 16 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen remain on seven points from their opening four Champions League matches after another sobering night for their ambitions to match the heights they hit last season.
Alonso's men sit fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich, and failed to master what Alonso described pre-match as a "beautiful challenge".
The Spaniard cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side struggled to get into the slick passing rhythm they have become famed for during his tenure.
The German champions, though, created the best of what chances there were in a first half short on goalmouth action.
Jeremie Frimpong saw appeals for a penalty waved away when he went down with a clear sight of goal under a challenge from Kostas Tsimikas.
Frimpong also had the ball in the net just before the break but handled before racing through to finish.
Liverpool's best opening of the half came seconds later when Curtis Jones' excellent pass finally found some space for Gakpo, but his powerful effort was repelled at his near post by Lukas Hradecky.
Just like in Saturday's 2-1 win over Brighton that took Slot's men to the top of the Premier League, it took until the second half for both Liverpool and the Anfield crowd to come to life.
Mohamed Salah should have done better when he sliced wide after a jinking run through the Leverkusen midfield by Ryan Gravenberch.
A cagey tactical battle was sparked into life on the hour mark by a moment of stunning quality.
Jones spun his marker before splitting the Leverkusen defence with a pinpoint pass for Diaz, who nonchalantly chipped the advancing Hradecky.
Moments later, Liverpool had killed the visitors off with another flowing move.
Salah's driven cross was headed in at the back post by the flying Gakpo.
The linesman raised his flag to momentarily silence the celebrations, but a VAR review showed the Dutch forward was onside for his sixth goal of the season.
Victor Boniface headed wide with a huge chance to bring Leverkusen immediately back into the game.
Instead, Liverpool pulled further clear seven minutes from time when Diaz controlled Salah's looping cross and fired home.
The Colombian then rounded off the scoring with his ninth of the season in stoppage time with another clinical finish after Darwin Nunez's blocked shot fell into his path.
Liverpool's return of 12 points means they are almost certainly already assured of a place in the knockout phase, but are closing in on sealing direct progression to the last 16 via a top-eight finish in the 36-team league.
X.Matos--PC