3 things that went right for Liverpool against Manchester City

Liverpool progressed into the Champions League semifinal with a 5-1 aggregate victory, after winning 2-1 in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino gave Liverpool the win on the night after Gabriel Jesus got City off to the perfect start with a goal in the second minute.

This is Liverpool's third win in four games against Manchester City this season, while the CItyzens have now lost three on the bounce for the first time this season.

Liverpool, with their 33 European goals this season, set the record for the most by an English team in a single Champions League season too.

Here's what went right for the Reds.

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#3 Lady luck

It is an often overused cliche that to progress in big tournaments, you need a little bit of luck to go your way. And on the night, Liverpool didn't have a little bit of luck, they had a generous chunk of it.

City went hell-for-leather in the first half, and the Reds had to endure wave after wave of City attack.

They had defended well from the time Jesus scored till the end of the first half, when two moments gave an indication it was going to be Liverpool's night.

Bernardo Silva cut in on his left foot and unleashed a shot towards the far corner. The ball brushed Dejan Lovren's head and absolutely slammed Loris Karius's post.

Barely a moment later, Leroy Sane had what looked like a perfectly good goal disallowed by the raised flag of the assistant referee. Despite multiple replays, it was not easy to figure out why the referee disallowed that goal.

#2 Solid start to the second half

Firmino scored the second goal to kill the tie and give Liverpool the win on the night

After the first half pounding that the Reds took, it was important for them to be composed and hold the ball to prevent City from throwing everything they had at them.

It was important for Liverpool to stick to their usual high-pressure game and force the City back four into making mistakes.

It took only 10 minutes for a positive start to the second period to pay off for Jurgen Klopp. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played a pass through the lines to Salah, who played a ball for Sadio Mane on the right side. Mane weaved his way into the box, but was closed down by the City goalkeeper Ederson.

The Brazilian, however, couldn't hold on to the ball, and the ball fell on the left foot of Salah with an empty net gaping. THE LEFT FOOT OF SALAH. There was only going to be one destination for the ball. It ended up in the back of the net and the away end was in raptures.

That knocked the stuffing out of City, but they still were looking to find more goals. But when Otamendi gifted the ball to Firmino for him to slot past Ederson, the tie was well and truly put to bed, if Salah's goal hadn't already.

#1 Dejan Lovren stepping up on a big night

Lovren was arguably the Reds' best player on the night

Dejan Lovren is someone who has taken stick, abuse and all sorts of offensive reactions from all quarters.

But on what was Liverpool's biggest night of the season, the Croatian stepped up.

He did seem rattled at the start, much like the rest of the Liverpool side. He started the night off with a bad foul on Sterling to give City a free-kick in a promising position. But nothing came off that.

That was all the change City got from Lovren on the night. With Virgil van Dijk making a mistake for City's goal and looking slightly rattled after it, it was important that Lovren put no foot wrong until the Dutchman got his bearings back.

Clearly, the Croatian got the memo, from whoever was preparing those memos for Liverpool on the night.

For Lovren, it was another night on his road to winning over the Liverpool fans, who have given him immense stick, although rightfully so.