The two top English clubs, Manchester City and Liverpool FC, reported back with a football spectacle after the World Cup break – and Pep Guardiola was able to celebrate in the end.
The English champions beat Jürgen Klopp's Reds 3-2 (1-1) in the round of 16 of the League Cup on Thursday.
This means that the Reds have lost another chance for the title, after the championship title is hardly possible with a deficit of 15 points to Arsenal.
Ex-Dortmunder Erling Haaland opened the goal spectacle in the tenth minute.
Riyad Mahrez (47') and Nathan Ake (58') scored the other goals for the City team, with Germany international Ilkay Gündogan and former Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega in the starting XI.
Fabio Carvalho (20') and Mohamed Salah (48') equalized twice for Liverpool.
If the League Cup was often neglected in the past, Guardiola and Klopp sent stars onto the field in droves.
In addition to Gündogan, City also used the Belgian World Cup participant Kevin De Bruyne.
Uruguay's Darwin Núñez came on in front for Liverpool and England midfielder Jordan Henderson came on as a substitute.