Salah magic leads Liverpool to 5-2 win over Roma
Mohamed Salah looked to the ground and held up his hands, almost apologising for the sheer beauty of his goals.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp laughed to himself in incredulity. Roma’s players, former teammates of Salah, were shell-shocked. Anfield rocked in jubilation.
In the latest virtuoso performance of his stunning first season at Liverpool, Salah produced two world-class finishes in the first half then set up further goals for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to help his team into a scarcely believable five-goal lead in the Champions League semi finals. Then he handed his old club a lifeline — by leaving the pitch.
After Salah was substituted in the 75th minute, Roma seized the initiative and scored two late goals to escape from Anfield with a 5-2 loss from the first leg on Tuesday.
The Italian side has already shown in this season’s competition that a threegoal deficit can be overcome. Just two weeks ago, Roma beat Lionel Messi’s Barcelona 3-0 in the Stadio Olimpico to advance from the quarter-finals on away goals.
Liverpool has been warned ahead of next week’s second leg.
“The tie is not over, we have already proven that against Barcelona,” Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco said. “Whoever doesn’t believe in a comeback should stay home. That applies to the fans in the stands as well.”
There was a strange atmosphere after the final whistle of one of the most extraordinary Champions League matches. Liverpool had just become the first team in 23 years to score five goals in one leg of a semi-final, yet its players left the field thinking it was an opportunity lost.
UNLIKELY HOPE
Roma’s fans, meanwhile, sang loudly and proudly long after the final whistle. They had been given unlikely hope.
“We have to work again in Rome now, that is no problem,” Klopp said. “There would have been work if we had won 5-0.”
It is still in Liverpool’s hands, though. Especially with Salah in the team.
The Egypt forward’s display was as exquisite as Roma’s defending was naive, with his two goals moving him on to 43 goals for the season in all competitions. Salah won English soccer’s Player of the Year award on Sunday and, at this rate, the Ballon D’Or could be his next year.
His first goal came after Roma striker Edin Dzeko gave up possession cheaply in Liverpool’s half. The ball made its way to Salah, who cut inside from the right edge of the penalty area and curled a shot in off the crossbar, near to the post. It couldn’t have been placed any better.