Van Dijk has entered Champions League history with an incredible milestone

Virgil van Dijk made an unexpected mark in Champions League history early Thursday morning (January 29), as Liverpool secured a commanding 6-0 victory over Qarabag at Anfield.

The Reds easily secured their spot in the round of 16, despite an early setback when Jeremie Frimpong had to leave the pitch within the opening minutes, further deepening the defensive crisis that coach Arne Slot is currently facing.

With Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni injured, while Ibrahima Konate was absent due to personal reasons, Ryan Gravenberch was forced to play as an emergency center-back. This decision raised doubts before kickoff, given Qarabag’s consistently effective attack and the chance to exploit Gravenberch’s unfamiliar position. However, the feared scenario did not materialize. Liverpool closed a lively night in Merseyside with a clean sheet despite defensive disruptions.

With the other Dutch center-back anchoring the defense, the match also proved effective offensively in a different way. Van Dijk did not score at Anfield this time, although he had several shots from corner situations narrowly missing the goalposts.

Instead, the 34-year-old Liverpool captain became the “conductor” of the attacking play, directly assisting three of the six goals scored by the home team. Van Dijk’s shot set up Alexis Mac Allister’s rebound for the opening goal. In the second half, his pass enabled Hugo Ekitike to break free and score Liverpool’s fourth goal.

In the final minutes, a through ball from Van Dijk’s unusually advanced position put Federico Chiesa in an ideal spot to seal a resounding victory for the Anfield hosts.

Notably, this last assist made Van Dijk a part of Champions League history, becoming the first center-back to provide 3 assists in a single game in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

This impressive performance is expected to silence critics who targeted him after the recent loss to Bournemouth, where the Dutch defender made several mistakes. It is also one of the displays this season that led some to believe his peak form may be behind him.

Whether that assessment is accurate or not, Van Dijk will now focus on helping Liverpool maintain momentum from this midweek triumph before facing Newcastle in the Premier League next Sunday.