Maribor 0-7 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino bag braces as Jurgen Klopp's side pick up first Champions League victory in emphatic fashion

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Bold citrus, the marketing men call it. Bold decision, others would have said, a sight that could have made for sore eyes.

Liverpool donned their new third kit and the colour — luminous orange — would have left them with no place to hide had things gone askew. Fortunately for Jurgen Klopp, they made a statement in their performance rather than their fashion.

Klopp wanted a win to mark the second anniversary of his first game in charge of Liverpool, but he could not have envisaged what his players produced. Even for a club with such a fine European pedigree, this was a record-breaking night. 

Youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates after capping off a sublime 7-0 Champions League victory for Liverpool

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain keeps his cool to slot home in the dying moments and score his first goal for Liverpool

The winger celebrates with team-mate Philippe Coutinho after adding Liverpool's sixth on a busy night in Slovenia

Roberto Firmino (background) watches on as his deft header beats goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic for Liverpool's fifth goal

The striker wheels away with his arms aloft in celebration after putting the game beyond all doubt for his side

The Brazilian smiles broadly as he is joined by team-mate Dejan Lovren to celebrate in front of the Liverpool fans

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE

MARIBOR (4-2-3-1): Handanovic 7: Milec 5, Rajcevic 5, Suler 5, Viler 5: Kabha 4, Vrhovec 5: Kramaric 5, Ahmedi 5, Bohar 5: Tavares 6

SUBS NOT USED: Obradovic, Billong, Vrsic, Palcic.

BOOKED: Vrhovec, Milec, Hotic 

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3):Karius 6: Alexander-Arnold 7, Matip 6, Lovren 6, Moreno 7: Milner 7, Wijnaldum 7 (Solanke 76mins 6), Can 7.5: Salah 8 (Oxalde-Chamberlain 57mins 6), Firmino 8 (Sturridge 68mins), Coutinho 8.5

SUBS NOT USED: Mignolet, Gomez, Henderson, Klavan.

GOALS: Firmino 3, 55; Coutinho 13; Salah 19, 40; Oxlade-Chamberlain 85; Alexander-Arnold 89

REFEREE: Viktor Kassai (Hungary) 

Roberto Firmino was on hand to slot home Liverpool's opener inside just three minutes. More stats and maps with Match Zone

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They plundered seven unanswered goals in Maribor, smashing their previous away best scoreline of 5-0 (achieved three times — in 1964, 1976 and 2001) to leave Klopp purring about the quality of a display that will do wonders for confidence.

'Wow,' said Klopp. 'The history of this wonderful club can be like a backpack. Now we get to write our own history. It will be difficult to beat that (in the future). To win 7-0 is quite rare. We did unbelievably well.'

The success came thanks to the irresistible play of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who shared the first five goals, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Trent Alexander-Arnold completed the demolition.

Liverpool's front three terrorised Maribor's defenders. Their speed, skill and subtlety wrapped up the points inside the first 20 minutes and the club's first away win in the Champions League since 2009. 

Firmino and Mohamed Salah rush onto Alberto Moreno's cross to score Liverpool's fourth - later awarded to Salah

The duo congratulate each other's attacking intent as they add yet another goal to Liverpool's ruthless performance

Jurgen Klopp's side celebrate collectively in front of the mass of travelling Liverpool supporters in Slovenia

Liverpool's command was so great that Klopp had the luxury of introducing Oxlade-Chamberlain and Daniel Sturridge, to protect Salah and Firmino for Sunday's clash with Tottenham.

Rotation had been the last thing on Klopp's mind and he indicated beforehand that he could have gone with the same line-up that were held by Manchester United as that game, he mischievously suggested, had 'not been too intense'.

Still, there were three changes, with Loris Karius taking over between the sticks and Alexander-Arnold replacing Joe Gomez. The most surprising, though, was James Milner coming in for Jordan Henderson.

Milner has barely been sighted this season, but he could not have wished for a better fixture in which to return.

Liverpool were in no mood to ease their way into the contest and they had the lead within 196 seconds. Salah hurtled down the right and crossed for Firmino to tap in. 

Salah opens his body to curl the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom corner for Liverpool's third goal

The Egyptian kisses the turf in celebration after getting on the scoresheet as his team-mates gather round

A joyous Coutinho heads to his Brazilian compatriot Roberto Firmino to celebrate scoring Liverpool's second

Coutinho got his weight over the ball to strike cleanly and hit the back of the Maribor net with expert precision

You sensed this might be the night when they made up for lost time. Klopp barely flickered as the away fans celebrated and, clearly, he wanted them to keep building on the foundation Firmino had provided.

Quickly they were back in position and fizzing upfield, their startled hosts with no idea how to contain this fluorescent swarm. They didn't have to wait long for the second and it was the pick of the four before the interval, Milner darting down the right and crossing for Coutinho to volley home.

With only 13 minutes gone, there was no way the scoring was going to stop and soon two became three. Salah got involved this time, Firmino slipping a pass to the Egyptian, who promptly drilled in.

There was never any threat of a comeback. Salah, Coutinho and Firmino had too much class and intensity, and they all had further chances before the interval. 

Firmino taps the ball home on the three-minute mark to cement a perfect start in the game for the Reds

The Brazilian wheels away in celebration after putting his side ahead in the opening moments of the clash

Salah catches some air as he rides a challenge from his opposition in the opening stages of the match

Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum cuts a focused figure while going through the warm-up routines prior to kick-off

As Liverpool players warmed up on the pitch, manager Jurgen Klopp focused his gaze on the opposition Maribor

Goal four was scored by Salah, who darted ahead of Firmino to apply the finishing touch to an Alberto Moreno cross.

'We've had bad luck in the last three or four games, we missed many chances,' said Salah. 'We created many and we had bad luck, but everyone is confident the good results are coming. I'm sure the next game will be the same.'

Maybe not, given Spurs are the opposition, but the way the goals rained in after the break bodes well.

Maribor disintegrated after Firmino had glanced in Coutinho's free-kick and Oxlade-Chamberlain ensured history was made when he raced through to score the sixth after Sturridge sent him clear.

It was now Liverpool's biggest ever away win in Europe but there was still time for one more when Alexander-Arnold fired in. Keep playing like this and the future will be bright even when they don't wear orange.

The stage was set at the Stadion Ljudski vrt as a picturesque sunset settled on the ground in the hours before kick-off