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The media revelled in Liverpools 2-0 win away to Inter Milan in the Champions League, with certain individuals receiving special praise.

Jurgen Klopps men produced a strong away performance on Wednesday night, riding a few waves of Inter pressure but ultimately getting the job done in the space of eight minutes.

Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored Liverpools goals at the San Siro, before seeing the game out with consummate ease.

The Reds are now firm favourites to reach the quarter-finals, as an unprecedented quadruple still remains possible, if unlikely.

Heres a look at how the media reacted to Liverpools victory.

Goals Neil Jones felt Liverpool got the job done in professional fashion:

At the final whistle, Simone Inzaghi looked like a man whod just had his lunch money stolen. No wonder.

Liverpool have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals, while Inter find themselves halfway out the door.

And it all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. For five-sixths of this last-16, first-leg clash, a cigarette paper wouldnt have separated the two teams.

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If they can win like this when playing like this, imagine what they can do when they really click.

Melissa Reddy of the Independent enjoyed the gritty style of victory, too:

Simone Inzaghi would have been dismayed, but not dumbfounded. Inter Milans coach predicted such an ending back in December when the Champions League last-16 draw was made.

Teams like Liverpool have something more, he mused. They always give you the idea that youre in it, that you can score a goal. Instead, they punish you.

It was all shaping up for an Inter triumph, persistent pressure blended with winning the duels, but then Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah breached their defence eight minutes apart to enact Inzaghis prophecy.

Football365s Matthew Stead felt Inter matched Liverpool in general, but the visitors ruthlessness shone through after the substitutions:

The hosts gave a phenomenal account of themselves, from Milan Skriniar keeping pace with Virgil van Dijk in the ludicrously imperious defensive stakes, to Arturo Vidal inhaling the vaguely chaotic nature of this bout and using it to sustain his lifeforce. Ivan Perisic and Hakan Calhanoglu might similarly be wondering what more they could have done.

But they are not Liverpool and Simone Inzaghi is not Jurgen Klopp. As good as he and his team are, they faced and fell to a ruthless machine that bounced off the ropes to land two knockout blows.

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For so long it was Inter who had the best of it, but Klopps substitutions swung the game. The introduction of Luis Diaz, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita on the hour, combined with Inters reluctance to make any such change, reinvigorated Liverpool.

It came at a time when they really ought to have been behind on the balance of play. But Henderson and Keita helped reestablish midfield control, while Diaz was a livewire.

Martin Samuel of the Mail lauded Klopps tactical nous in the second half:

Scorers get the headlines but, make no mistake, this was Jurgen Klopps triumph.

He is not a man for dramatic gestures mid-game. Dramatic emotions on the touchline maybe, but Klopp is not one of those managers who makes flurries of changes, or embarrasses a player by hooking him after 20 minutes.

So when he makes a substitution after 45 minutes, and three at once 15 minutes later, something must be wrong. And something was going terribly wrong for Liverpool in the San Siro on Wednesday night.

They were pinned back, overrun. They couldnt breathe such was Inter Milans second-half pressure. So Klopp acted. He ditched Sadio Mane for Luis Diaz, brought Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita into the overwhelmed midfield. And he changed the game. Suddenly, Liverpool were out of their half, giving as good as they got.

The Telegraphs Jason Burt focused on Firminos continued importance:

There is so much understandable talk of a changing of the guard along Liverpools frontline with the arrival of Luis Diaz and the blossoming of Diogo Jota that it is forgotten what a decisive performer Roberto Firmino can still be.

The Brazilian appears to have lost his place in the famed attacking trident, for the big games at least, but he emerged after half-time to replace the injured Jota and make the vital breakthrough in the first leg of this Champions League tie which was actually in danger of running away from Liverpool.

The Mirrors Freddie Keighley was impressed with Virgil van Dijk:

Jurgen Klopp declared Virgil van Dijk is back to his best after Liverpools 1-0 victory over Burnley on Sunday, and the Dutchman proved it once again in the Lombardy capital.

Van Dijk was hugely impressive against Inter Milans strike partnership of Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko, positioning himself to snuff out the danger and using his remarkable recovery pace to

During Liverpools spell under the cosh early in the second half, the 30-year-old was seen bellowing to his teammates, urging them to raise their level and caulk the gap between defence and midfield.

Van Dijk was paired with Ibrahima Konate rather than Joel Matip at centre-back as Jurgen Klopp and the Frenchman made a number of important interventions including a fine block to repel Ivan Perisics effort just before the hour mark.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher loved Ibrahima Konates display, taking to Twitter to provide his thoughts:

Jones feels the coming months could be hugely exciting:

And so on to Anfield we go. Liverpool have back-to-back home games in the Premier League now, a chance to make up some ground in their pursuit of Manchester City.

After that comes the Carabao Cup final, and next month brings an FA Cup fifth round tie with Norwich before the second leg against Inter.

Big games, big stages, big possibilities. A big few months lie in wait for Klopp and his side.

This Is Anfield also looked ahead to a key period:

So back to Anfield well go and given our form there, hopes will be high that were heading into the last eight.

Before then, though, theres a lot to get through for the Reds including two games against Norwich and a cup final.

The first one against the Canaries is in the league and at the weekend, back to Anfield where weve won 11 of the last 12 in all competitions and are unbeaten all season long.

Klopp has already explained how well be rotating more frequently for the coming run of games, with Leeds and West Ham the other opponents before the second leg with Inter.

Everyone will be needed and by the time that game comes along, well hopefully be a point or two closer to Man City and have a trophy in the bank. On we roll.

Finally, Reddy was another who was eyeing up glory for Liverpool this season:

The scoreline will feel agonising for his (Inzaghis) charges, but enlivens Liverpools ambition of picking up more than one piece of silverware this season.

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Henderson was excellent in midfield as Liverpool swung the game and tie in their favour, keeping the big picture of Champions League glory in frame.

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Klopps subs swung the game as media admire hugely impressive centre-backs - This Is Anfield

New Zealanders abroad are being urged to come home and do their patriotic duty - picking and packing kiwifruit - in the national interest.

(Source: 1News)

And, if they're quick, they can help out sending New Zealand's first red kiwifruit abroad.

New Zealand's annual harvest began in Te Puke this week, a Bay of Plenty town known as the kiwifruit capital for its hillside orchards teeming with fruit.

The harvest will take roughly four months and kiwifruit marketers Zespri are hopeful of a record haul.

Last year, 177 million kiwifruit trays - or 5.3 billion pieces of fruit - were taken from trees, and this year, the forecast is for 190 million trays.

That's if they can find enough staff.

The workforce is usually comprised of around 60 per cent locals, 20 per cent Pacific workers, and 20 per cent backpackers, but with border settings still tightly-controlled, that backpacking crowd isn't available.

New Zealand's tight labour market exacerbates the problem; unemployment is a staggering 3.2 per cent, meaning there are fewer Kiwis looking for work than usual.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc chief executive Colin Bond says they're appealing to Kiwis - whether at home or abroad - to make up the shortfall.

"We could be around 6000 short because that's about the number of backpackers that we normally have," Bond told AAP.

"Our challenge is how do we cover that gap? So we're going to try and attract more New Zealanders."

Last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a reopening strategy that begins with Kiwis based in Australia, who can enter from next week without staying in MIQ.

From March 14, that will extend to working holiday makers, leaving a tight turnaround before the picking peak in mid-April.

Given that, growers are hopeful Kiwis in Australia might jump the ditch and roll their sleeves up.

"We're a billion (dollar) industry for New Zealand and that money flows back to local communities," Bond said.

"It is about people pitching in and coming to do your bit, to pick a bit of 'kiwiana' and come and help out the growers."

Kiwifruit is big business in New Zealand.

It is the largest horticultural export, outdoing even wine, and is expected to be worth up to $NZ3 billion this year.

This year, pickers will get their hands on a new variety: Zespri's RubyRed flavour.

The new fruit has been engineered over the past decade to ensure it's the right colour, taste, is easily stored and grown for commercialisation.

"It's a beautiful-tasting fruit," Bond said.

"When you slice them open you'll get red flesh and they're slightly different on the outside as well.

"The green has the hairy fuzz. The gold has a smooth skin. The ruby red is a slightly different shape and colour again."

Zespri claims the RubyRed has an edible skin, and the fruit is "high in antioxidants, rich in Vitamin C and it's a good source of folate, potassium, and Vitamin E".

Just a few hundred thousand trays are being exported this season, making it a tiny slice of the overall market.

Sadly for Australian consumers, they're bound for Singapore, Japan and China - with Australia part of plans further down the track.

That means the best route for Australians to try the fruit is to head to New Zealand and pick them.

Bond said the vast majority of packhouses pay the living wage - NZ$22.75 an hour - or above, while pickers can attract an average of NZ$27.

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Kiwis abroad urged to return home and pick kiwifruit - 1News

Its not 2010 again in GOP politics and never will be, but you could be forgiven for having flashbacks to the beginnings of the tea party.

A leaderless grassroots revolt has emerged from almost nowhere, causing outrage in the media and among elected officials, as it opposes government overreach in high-spirited demonstrations.

So, yeah, this is happening in Canada and not the United States.

Still, the embrace of the Canadian trucker protesters by the American right is a sign that the tea party spirit circa the early Obama years was never fully extinguished. It is freedom that remains the most natural and powerful Republican rallying cry.

The Trump era catalyzed an ongoing debate among writers and thinkers on the right about how much emphasis should be put on freedom. One faction associated with populists and nationalists argues that the traditional conservative celebration of freedom has become fetishistic and is an anachronism irrelevant to ordinary people and an obstacle to grappling with the struggles of the working class.

This position has gained adherents in recent years, but it is hard to tell amid the rights reflexive support of a protest movement literally flying under the banner of freedom.

The Canadian protest is a unifying moment for the American right. To simplify, the populists are drawn to the truckers as representatives of the working class, of a rejection of government by experts, and of a willingness to shock and defy the progressive governing class as embodied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Limited-government conservatives, on the other hand, tend to sympathize with the opposition to the vaccine mandate on truckers as an irrational, completely unnecessary regulation and with the push to begin lifting COVID-19 restrictions more broadly.

Both elements on the right have denounced Trudeaus invoking of emergency powers. For the populists, the action is a dangerous sign of an impulse to smash anyone crossing elite opinion. For limited-government types, its a dangerous sign of a government that can too easily slip free of constitutional constraints.

It adds up to a kind of populist-inflected libertarianism with an enhanced accent on cultural combat and class conflict.

It was predictable that the first contact with Biden administration policies would revivify a conservative distrust of government, and pandemic restrictions have super-charged a Do Not Tread on Me response across the right.

Of course, the GOP has changed over the last decade or so. Donald Trump broke with the conventional post-Reagan Republican rhetoric and elevated national cohesiveness, sovereignty and strength over and above freedom.

The sense now is less the government is bankrupting us and more these out-of-touch, self-appointed experts are telling us what to do because they have too much power and like lording it over us, with the press, social media, corporations and non-profits all on their side.

This gives the opposition to government a distinct culture war charge, although this isnt necessarily new. In the post-World War II conservative coalition, classical liberals and social conservatives united in opposition to big government because it was believed that an overweening government was a threat both to freedom and traditional values.

The issues and the emphases might change but in conservative politics, freedom is unlikely ever to go out of style.

Rich Lowry is editor in chief of the National Review.

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Lowry: Freedom still the Republican rallying cry - Boston Herald

Excited Republicans anticipated big gains two years after Barack Obama won the presidency. Photo: Michael Reynolds/EPA/Shutterstock

Most political observers assume Democrats are going to have some sort of setback in November. After all, the party controlling the White House has lost U.S. House seats in 19 of the last 21 midterm elections. In the two years that were an exception to this pattern, the president had job-approval ratings over 60 percent, while President Bidens current job-approval average according to FiveThirtyEight is just 41.6 percent. Republicans Senate chances are iffier, but the odds are high that a red wave will have consequences up and down the ballot, particularly given the steady rise of straight-ticket voting in recent years.

So exactly how bad could November 8, 2022, be for Democrats? Is the relevant precedent, say, 2010, when the Donkey Party lost a net 63 House seats, 6 Senate seats, 6 governorships, and 20 state legislative chambers? Its tempting to think so. That year was the first-term midterm for Barack Obama, a new Democratic president who took office in worsening economic times and launched an ambitious agenda that was nearly undone by Democratic infighting and Republican obstruction. Energized GOP voters proclaimed themselves part of a grassroots Tea Party movement that would champion freedom and fiscal responsibility against the socialistic Democrats. Sounds pretty familiar, doesnt it? Heck, Sarah Palin has even been in the news again.

But 2022 probably wont be as bad as 2010 for Democrats due to one technical but very real issue: exposure. One big reason the 2010 losses were so enormous for Democrats is that the election was preceded by two straight Democratic wave elections in 2006 (which flipped control of the House) and 2008 (in which Obama posted the first comfortable presidential victory for either party since 1996). The presidents party entered the 2010 cycle with 256 House seats, 59 senators (soon to increase to 60 when Arlen Specter changed parties), and a majority of governors and state legislative chambers. There was simply an enormous amount of marginal political ground to be lost. Today Democrats control just 221 House seats, 50 Senate seats, and a decided minority of governorships and state legislative chambers.

The outcome in November, even if Democrats do poorly, is more likely to resemble the 2014 elections, when they had significantly less exposure to losses. Even though their share of the national House popular vote (51.4 percent) was nearly as high as it was in 2010 (51.7 percent), Republicans gained only 13 House seats in 2014. They also netted only two governorships (though they did flip another 10 legislative chambers). The big Democratic setback in 2014 was the loss of the Senate, which happened mostly because the group of Democratic senators up for reelection that year had benefited from landslide conditions in 2008 and five of them retired. The Democratic Senate landscape in 2022 is positive or at least neutral, and its Republicans dealing with five Senate retirements.

But if you want a more precise analog in the recent past to where Democrats stand today, along with a reminder that strange things can happen between elections, the cycle to look at is 2002. Exactly like Democrats at this moment, Republicans under George W. Bush came out of 2000 with 221 House seats and 50 senators. The fragility of the GOP trifecta was dramatized on May 24, 2001, when Republican Senator Jim Jeffords decided to switch parties, handing control of the upper chamber to Democrats. On September 10, 2001, George W. Bushs job-approval rating was 51 percent and on a steady downward trajectory. It sure looked like the GOP was headed for a devastating midterm, probably including the loss of both congressional chambers. But then 9/11 happened. Bushs job-approval rating shot up to 90 percent after the attacks, and Republicans made small but still very unusual midterm gains. It goes to show: History has some clear lessons about midterms, but never bet the farm on any election outcome until the votes have been cast.

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Could the 2022 Midterms Be As Bad As 2010 for Democrats? - New York Magazine

Its like losing a loved one, or finding the family cat flattened by a stray road grader.

Actually, its way, way, way, totally way worse.

Did grandma rest her soul ever help you hit a four-team parlay, last-second style?

Did Patches pancaked into the afterlife ever strap on shoulder pads and run for a buck-forty-eight over the contemptible, foul-smelling Steelers?

Did either of them ever once give you the vicarious thrill of victory to temporarily offset the perpetual, suffocating sense of loss that you feel as each passing second takes you closer and closer to your inevitable demise and that moment when youll have to face the Grim Reaper, eyeball to skull-hole, and account for this thing that youve called a life?

Big fat negative there, chief.

But pro football sure has.

With the Super Bowl bringing the 2021 NFL season to an end last Sunday, this will be the first weekend since September with no linebackers de-cleating wideouts scampering across the middle; no Volvo-sized offensive and defensive lineman slapping bellies with seismic reverberations; no pouty-pussed Aaron Rodgers sulking on the sidelines as the Packers blow yet another chance at a title shot.

It will be seven (!!!) interminably long months before the next season kicks off. Thats three-and-a-half lifespans for your average housefly, which is exactly what that stretch of time feels like: three-and-a-half lifespans.

Yes, were in mourning. (In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the charity of your choice by donation we mean Jagermeister and by charity of choice we mean yours truly.)

Guess the only course of action here is to begrudgingly find some other crap to do on Sundays to try to fill the Allegiant Stadium-sized void in our soul.

To this end: Here are 10 of the best options for the worst (ever) time of the year:

Karaoke After Dark w/Blaire DeWayne at Dawg House Saloon at Resorts World, 8 p.m.

Whatll it be, Bengals fans? Becks Loser or Jerry Garcias Loser? UFOs Im a Loser or The Beatles Im a Loser? Maybe Tom Pettys Even the Losers for the win? (Just kidding, winning is not your thing, obvs). Nevertheless, youll be well-suited to belt out any of the aforementioned classics at Karaoke After Dark at Resorts Worlds sports-friendly Dawg House Saloon. Host Blaire DeWayne, best known around these parts for fronting kick-arse indie rockers Rusty Maples, will most assuredly add some laughs to the evening. Hey, you cant lose for a change.

Sunday Funday open mic comedy night at Noreens Lounge, 8 p.m.

Like Gandhi once famously said, Laughter is the best medicine, especially when battling gangrene. Take dudes words of wisdom to heart, add your name to the sign-up sheet at Noreens Lounges Sunday Funday open mic comedy night, and get your Bill Hicks on. Noreens (2799 E. Tropicana Ave.) is an ideal spot for stand-up first-timers, a friendly, welcoming, dive-bar environment with a mix of newbies and local comedy up-and-comers. Fear not, nervous nellies, you wont get laughed off stage unless youre that good.

Southern Highlands Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Like Gandhi also once famously said, Real men sweat Crisco. To wit: Youve spent the last five months of Sundays gorging on deep-fried, well, everything during the games, cause salads and football go together like salads and football. So go get some fresh air, veggies and fruits all at once and give your cholesterol levels a break at the Southern Highlands Farmers Market (11411 Southern Highlands Parkway) then have your better half run a slant route and tight-spiral her an eggplant. (Dont worry, you can deep-fry that eggplant when you get home).

Tailgate in perpetuity at Raiders Tavern at M Resort

Just because the NFL season comes to an end doesnt mean you should have to stop tailgating, right? This was the argument that we recently made to the security staff at the Luxor parking garage, who remained stubbornly, party-poopingly unconvinced. And so were relocating to the Raiders Tavern at M Resort, where theres less pepper spray, more beer. The place is awash in Raiders memorabilia, theres a team gift shop, the 45 HDTVs are always tuned to sports and there are ample bar napkins to soak up the tears of Broncos fans still grieving after the hated Raiders rivals got schooled by the home team twice (!) this year.

Play Tecmo Bowl at the Pinball Hall of Fame

Nostalgia is a big part of sports. Say youre a Browns fan (put your dukes down, it wasnt meant as an insult). You remember those glory days when your team was a perennial playoff contender, right? Alf was on prime time; indoor plumbing had just become a thing. Reel in the years in similar fashion at the always awesome Pinball Hall of Fame (4925 Las Vegas Blvd. S.), where admission is free, and there are scads of arcade classics like gridiron staple Tecmo Bowl alongside games of skill that date all the way back to when your team was last relevant and your QB sported a leather helmet.

Dino a la Carte happy hour at The Golden Tiki, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

Like the 2021 NFL season, Dean Martin is dead. But also like the 2021 NFL season, Dean Martin still lives on in our hearts (Who could ever forget Thats Amore or the Colts crapping the proverbial bed in Jacksonville in Week 18?). Celebrate the Rat Packer in finger-snapping style with crooner Dino a la Cartes swinging happy hour at the Golden Tiki (3939 Spring Mountain Road), which is always a cool hang with its legendary celebrity shrunken heads and even more legendary-ier Surfboard Pupu Platter. Bonus: The cocktails here are as stiff as you wish your squads run defense was.

See real-life rams up close at Hemenway Park in Boulder City

The Rams of Los Angeles didnt disappoint last weekend, and neither do their real-life counterparts in Boulder City.

Herds of the wooly, big-horned creatures come down to graze at the citys Hemenway Park (401 Ville Drive) throughout the day. Sit on a bench, take in the gorgeous views of Lake Mead, and theyll come within arms length of you as they serve as natures lawnmowers. Its as beautiful as taking the under was last Sunday.

Comedy Sportz at Art Square Theater, 7:30 p.m.

In a way, its kind of like watching the Texans take on the Jags: two teams competing to a chorus of laughs. Comedy Sportz at Art Square Theater (1025 S. First St.), though, is a vastly more entertaining way to spend a Sunday. How it works: Two teams of improv comedy pros go at it, while the audience helps keep score. Theres even a ref! Its an all-ages, kid-friendly show, meaning that much like sacking Tom Brady for a loss its fun for the whole family.

Drag Brunch at The Garden, noon

Whats better than topless eye-candy? Bottomless cocktails, easily. Yeah, football-free Sundays are a drag, but less of a drag thanks to the drag queens at The Garden (1017 S. First St. No. 180). Resident performers like Coco Montrese and Desree St. James bring the wow; the wait staff brings the drinks in endless supply. Piece of advice: Make reservations in advance, as this is one hot (and bothered) ticket.

Upside Down Tea Party at the Shag Room at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, noon-3 p.m.

We know what youre thinking: Tea time is for British folk who daftly refer to soccer as football. Um, just like England learned about that whole democracy thing from the United States, and The Monkees totally paved the way for The Beatles, American football comes first, English soccer second. History lesson complete, the Upside Down Tea Party at the Shag Room at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a sweet place to nurse your post-Super Bowl football sads, with alcohol-enhanced teas delivered in your own tea pot alongside a tower of gourmet finger foods, while a damn good, female-fronted cover band performs. Request Queens We Are the Champions and lead a chant for the good ol U. S. of A.

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @jbracelin76 on Instagram

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10 things to do on Sundays now that the NFL season is over - Las Vegas Review-Journal