LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 25: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on November 25, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Champions League: Magical Mo keeps waving his wand
It was almost a perfect night for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds who have opened the door slightly as Liverpool and Roma battle it out for a place in the Champions League final.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 25: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on November 25, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp must’ve thought he was dreaming last night.
With only 10 minutes to go, his team were 5-0 ahead and cruising to a memorable Champions League semifinal first leg thrashing against the visiting Roma outfit.
Miracle man Mohamed Salah scored two brilliant goals and set up two more. Sadio Mane added one of his own and Roberto Firmino made it five sending Anfield into raptures.
But two late strikes by Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti gave the visiting fans a glimpse of hope heading into next week’s return leg with two away goals.
The tie has suddenly become a whole lot more interesting as Liverpool look to emulate their 2004/5 success when they beat Milan on penalties to clinch their first and only Champions League title.
But intrigue aside, the night belonged to one man and one man only.
Salah scored his eighth goal in Champions League this season and his 43rd overall.
Leading scorers in the UEFA Champions League after Tuesday’s game:
15 goals: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
10: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Salah (Liverpool)
8: Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Mané (Liverpool)
7: Cavani (Paris SG), Dzeko (Roma), Kane (Tottenham)
6: Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Paris SG)
#MagicMo long may you shine, @22mosalah ! #MoSalah #LiverpoolRoma #محمد_صلاح قولوا ماشاء الله !! pic.twitter.com/bFXd2IVGNo
— shaimaa khalil BBC (@Shaimaakhalil) April 24, 2018
Teed up inside the Roma area in the 36th minute, Salah was coolness personified as he curled his strike into the top corner. Salah’s majestic effort made him the first Liverpool player to score in 33 different matches in a single season, surpassing the mark set by Anfield icon Ian Rush.
More importantly, it left Roma in ruins and Salah delivered a hammer blow in first-half stoppage-time when he sprinted through a huge hole in the Italian defence to score again with a deft finish.
He has scored 43 times in 47 appearances as he chases Rush’s Liverpool singe-season record of 47 goals in all competitions. Having scored two and with Rush watching from the stands, Salah finished with a flourish as his passes allowed Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to net after the break.
Klopp, meanwhile, although disappointed by a ‘little mistake in the performance’, was hardly a man defeated.
It was pretty much a perfect performance for 80 minutes or so. We made defence-wise one mistake. But that’s the competition, each goal you score is massive and I think we agree that the penalty was not a penalty. But that’s the situation.
We would, of course, be much happier if we had won 5-0 or 5-1 but 5-2 is still a fantastic result. I couldn’t even have imagined that this is possible.
The boys did outstandlingly good. And now we go there, trying to win again.
Missed the game? Read all about it here.
– Additional reporting by AFP.
