Liverpool were in seventh heaven after blitzing their way into the Champions League knock out phase thanks to a Philippe Coutinho hat trick.
Jurgen Klopp's stars outclassed Spartak Moscow with a devastating show of firepower to top Group E.
And their 7-0 Russian rout created Champions League history by ensuring English clubs will field the largest ever group of teams from a single nation ever to reach the knock-out stage.
Coutinho's hat-trick, two from Senegal hit-man Sadio Mane and others by Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah put Liverpool into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
And they will go into Sunday's Merseyside derby with Everton full of confidence after a comprehensive destruction of Spartak.
Liverpool needed victory to ensure top spot and they soothed Kop nerves with Brazilian star Coutinho starting the goal spree with a 4 minute penalty after Mo Salah was foolishly bundled over by Georgi Dzhikiya.
Coutinho made it 2-0 to finish a sweeping Liverpool attack involving Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah soon after.
And the tie was over after 18 minutes as Firmino finished another rapid Liverpool counter attack.
Substitute James Milner teed-up a wonder strike by mane just after the break before playing in Coutinho for his hat trick after 50 minutes.
Liverpool drove home their dominance with further goals by Mane and Salah as they scored seven for the second time in the group stage after bating Maribor by the same score.
Thanks and goodnight
We hope you enjoyed catching all the action here tonight.
What a performance from Anfield - here are our player ratings from the Reds.
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A trio of talking points
3. Captain Phil Shines
When Liverpool have the opposition on the run there’s no-one better than Philippe Coutinho for making teams suffer.
And the Brazilian was in electric form leading from the front as first half captain for the reds. The midfielder – coveted by Barcelona and the rest of Europe’s giants - was a constant danger bursting from deep positions.
His coolly converted early penalty set the tone – but his second goal after 15 minutes oozed pure class as he netted with a clever controlled finish before claiming his hat trick after half time.
4. Super-sub Milner
James Milner couldn’t really be called an impact sub.
But his rapid-fire double assist at the start of the second half well and truly put this game beyond sorry Spartak.
After replacing Alberto Moreno moments before the break Milner instantly hit the ground running as the game resumed.
First his peach of a cross teed up Sadio Mane’s killer volley then minutes later he delivered the ball for Coutinho’s hat-trick.
5. Russians top sides well behind
Just down the road 24 hours earlier CSKA Moscow discovered it’s not so easy to knock over a top Premier League team as they fell to superior Manchester United firepower.
And at Anfield it was deja-vu for travelling Russian fans who saw the financial muscle of English football end their Champions League adventure for another season.
Shipping three early goals didn’t go down well with Spartak fans but police and stewards moved quickly to quell any notion of an unwanted pitch invasion by forming a solid barrier on the pitch perimeter just in case.
Talking points from Anfield
There was some delightful football on show at Anfield tonight. We have five talking points courtesy of our man Steve Bates:
1. No Gambling by Klopp:
The Mersey derby might only be days away but the Liverpool boss wasn’t taking any chances with Champions League qualification.
Despite sitting top of Group E before kick-off Klopp knew a slip up against Spartak Moscow and a win in Maribor for Seville could dump Liverpool in the Europa League.
The German boss responded by fielding a fearsome foursome in attack and welcoming back Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez in defence to ensure there were no mishaps.
2. Liverpool’s Fab Four
Jurgen Klopp was calm and composed before kick-off- and no wonder.
For when you have a quartet like Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho hungry for goals life’s easy.
Klopp’s fab four sensed blood right from the start and were just too hot to handle for Spartak’s shell-shocked defence.
The scoreboard reads well for Liverpool fans!
Supreme Salah
Quartet on the scoresheet
He’s deserved a goal and it’s a beauty.
Emre Can lofts a ball over the top and James Milner heads it back across goal.
Mohamed Salah collects the loose ball, turns a marker and catapults the ball into the top corner.
7-0! Poor Spartak Moscow fans at Anfield... The visitors have simply tweeted: “Seventh...Salah”
Mane to the double
Another flowing move and another Liverpool goal.
This time Salah breaks on the counter and tees up substitute Daniel Sturridge.
The England international feeds the ball across the six yard box and Mane, whilst falling over, turns in the ball for his second.
Prolific from the Reds indeed
Stat-attack from Lineker
Coutinho treble
So Philippe Coutinho completes his first ever hat-trick for the Reds with a deflected shot inside the box.
Liverpool continue to be sensational going forward.
How many can they score now?
What a goal!
You have to see this goal...
Milner’s fine cross from the left and Sadio Mane takes his time to acrobatically clatter in a right foot volley.
Boom!
Back underway at Anfield
So will it be more scenes like this in the second half?
Moreno off in tears
Sad to see left-back Alberto Moreno leave the field of play in that way.
His teammates try and comfort him, but Moreno is evidently devastated as he wipes away the tears and trudges off.
James Milner will be the Liverpool left-back in the second-half.
Too much for some
It’s been quite the first half from the Reds, but one fan is struggling to stay awake!
Ruthless Reds
Chance after chance
Liverpool’s front four quartet has been sublime.
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in particular have been running the show with their pace.
Firminho on fire!
Roberto Firmino has now scored or assisted seven goals in his last four appearances, as many as his previous as 14 matches combined.
And whilst we’re on the stats...
Coutinho makes a bit of history at Anfield
Running riot!
Mane is rapid down the right again and Spartak can’t live with his pace.
His clipped cross is just about blocked, but the knockdown falls to Firmino.
The Brazilian laps up the chance and flashers in the third with the outside of his right boot.
3-0 up sounds familiar - surely they won’t make the same mistake as they did against Sevilla?
Coutinho at the double
What a fine flowing move from the home side and Anfield is rocking.
Coutinho taps in after free-flowing passing from Mane, Salah and Firminho.
2-0 and just a quarter of an hour gone - this could turn nasty for the away side if they don’t click into gear soon.
Over in Slovenia...
It just keeps getting better for Klopp.
Marcos Tavares has sent Maribor ahead against Sevilla, which means as things stand Liverpool would top the group by four points!
What a start
It was pretty much the first attack of the game.
Giorgi Jikia bundles into Mohamed Salah as he looks to collect a lofted pass, the referee had to award the penalty.
The captain steps up, cooly slots away the penalty and the Anfield faithful are loving it.
Key duo
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah combine to fire Liverpool into the last 16!
Which is your pick?
A tough call for the BT Sport pundits...
The scene at Anfield!
Nearly time for kick-off
Coutinho the captain!
In the absence of usual skipper Jordan Henderson (who is on the bench), playmaker Philippe Coutinho has stepped up to lead the Reds at Anfield.
Coutinho captains as Liverpool need to equal Sevilla’s result to guarantee they finish top of Group E.
Jurgen Klopp’s group leaders have nine points from five games and have not reached the last 16 of the Champions League since 2008-09.
Sevilla, second on eight points, are favourites to join the Reds in the last 16 and will target maximum points at bottom-placed NK Maribo.
The Russians are confident with their starting XI
Away team news
So here is the Spartak Moscow line-up hoping to cause an upset at Anfield:
Spartak XI: Selikhov, Eschenko, Bocchetti, Tasci, Dzhikiya, Zobnin, Fernando, Glushakov, Promes, Ze Luis, Luis Adriano
Liverpool team news
Welcome
Sadio Mane is confident Liverpool will continue to cause problems for defenders in the latter stages of the Champions League - although first they have to get into the knockout stages.
Heading into the final round of group matches, Jurgen Klopp’s side are the second-highest scorers in the competition with their 16 from five games bettered only by Paris St Germain’s remarkable 24 goals.
They are only two short of their best group stage tally achieved in 2007/08 and that firepower should be enough to secure them the point they need at home to Spartak Moscow to make the last 16 for the first time since 2009.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah both have five European goals apiece with the other members of their key attacking quartet Mane and Philippe Coutinho contributing one and two respectively.
Liverpool have put 10 past Maribor in two matches and scored three in Seville last time out and Mane hopes that kind of threat will keep opposition teams on their toes.
“I think we have scored more goals than many big teams,” he said.
“It is important to score goals and win the games. It doesn’t matter to us (who scores), we just want to win the games.
“We are working hard every single day to be difficult for the defenders. We going to try to do our best and cause as many problems as we can for the defenders.
“It is very important for us to be in the Champions League. It is the dream of each player in the world. The fans deserve it, the club also.
“Liverpool is a big and great club; we want to play a big part in the Champions League. We want to go as far as we can.”