NICE, France (Reuters) - French Premier League club Nice and English Premier League side Liverpool shared the stage on Saturday night in the final of their Champions League group matches.
The two sides have met twice this season, with Liverpool winning both games at home to Nice.
In a match that was not expected to be a high-profile affair, Liverpool scored early in the first half and cruised to victory over Nice.
"It's great for everyone involved," said Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard after his side took control of the game.
Both teams started brightly, but Liverpool went ahead with a header by Luis Suarez in the 11th minute, before a penalty kick from Mohamed Salah was saved by goalkeeper David de Gea.
In the second half, Liverpool continued to dominate and scored again with a header by Salah, who had played the full 90 minutes.
"Scores like these make it even better," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "We didn't get the ball well enough in the first half, but we got our head up and got back into the game."
Liverpool also secured a point when they won the penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in extra time.
"We're very happy with how the game ended," Rodgers added. "It was a tough game, but we fought through and came out on top."
The two sides will now face off in the quarter-finals next week. Both clubs have strong squads and can expect to face some tough opponents.
Meanwhile, Liverpool FC president Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to the upcoming match against Manchester United, which he believes could be a good preparation for the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
"Manchester United is a team that has a lot of quality, and I think there'll be a bit of a fight tonight," Rodgers said. "But I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next week."
As for Nice, they were hoping to bounce back from their disappointing loss in the previous round and start the season strongly. However, they were defeated by Liverpool in the last round of fixtures, leaving them with a tough task ahead of their clash with Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
In the meantime, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp is confident that his team can overcome any challenge and claim their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. "We've got a lot of confidence going into the next game," Klopp said. "We know that we need to play with a lot more spirit and pressure than we did against Manchester City and we've been doing that already. We want to keep playing with that same intensity and pressure."
Overall, both teams will be looking to continue their strong performances and secure their places in the Champions League. But whether they do or not, one thing is certain: they will be competing hard throughout the tournament.