Salah finds net twice as Liverpool thumps Red Star Belgrade
LIVERPOOL: Jurgen Klopp hopes the scrutiny over Mohamed Salah’s form will stop after he became the fastest Liverpool player to reach 50 goals.
The Egyptian scored twice in the 40 Champions League victory over Red Star Belgrade at Anfield yesterday to make it to his halfcentury in only 65 games.
The brace took Salah’s tally for the season to six, including three in his past two games, and there are signs he is starting to find, if not yet his sensational form of last season, then something not too far away.
Klopp has repeatedly stressed he has not been concerned about Salah’s performances, and said of the milestone: ‘‘I think he would say thanks to his teammates because it’s quite difficult to score goals without these wonderful passes, crosses.
It was a good evening for all Liverpool’s front trio. Roberto Firmino opened the scoring, Salah added a second just before halftime and then netted from the penalty spot early in the second half, before Sadio Mane made amends for missing a second spotkick with the fourth.
The result puts Liverpool on top of group C after the other game ended in a 22 draw between Paris St Germain and Napoli.
Tottenham’s hopes were left in tatters after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris cost it victory in their vital group B game at PSV Eindhoven.
Captain Luuk De Jong struck a late equaliser to earn Dutch side PSV a 22 result that did little for either side’s Champions League ambitions.
Hirving Lozano’s deflected effort gave PSV the lead after 30 minutes of the group B clash but Lucas Moura equalised before halftime, and when Harry Kane headed Tottenham in front after 54 minutes the visiting side looked in complete control.
But a moment of madness rsulted in Spurs keeper Lloris being sent off in the 79th minute, and a rejuvenated PSV grabbed a point with De Jong’s closerange flick.
The result left PSV and Tottenham on one point from three games.
Barcelona came through its first test without the injured Lionel Messi, earning a convincing 20 win at home to Inter Milan to take control of group B.
Midfielder Rafinha opened the scoring against the club where he spent the latter half of last season, bursting through the middle and finding Luis Suarez, then turning the Uruguayan’s cross in on the volley in the 32nd minute.
Spanish left back Jordi Alba killed off Inter’s resistance late in the second half with a thumping low finish, snapping the Italian side’s winning streak of seven games in all competitions and sealing a third straight win in the Champions League for Ernesto Valverde’s side.
Barca top group B with nine points while Inter is second on six.
A victory for the Catalans away to Inter at the San Siro in two weeks’ time will seal their place in the last 16.
In other games yesterday, Borussia Dortmund downed Atletico Madrid 40, Club Brugge and Monaco drew 11, Lokomotiv Moscow lost 31 at FC Porto 3 and Galatasaray and Schalke drew 00. — Reuters