MO’S THE RED MESSI!
Anfield is rocking as Salah inspires the destruction of Roma on an unforgettable night
At 75 minutes his time was up and, with it, arguably the greatest performance by an individual for an English club side in Europe.
the less said about what happened after that the better, but Mohamed Salah, two goals, two assists in a Champions League semi-final, is a display that will live long in the memory.
that Roma scored two goals to keep this tie alive, just, after he was withdrawn only goes to underline his influence. While he was active the Italians could not get back in the game. Once he was gone it was as if a weight had been lifted, a monster becalmed.
Salah was, quite simply, astonishing. His finishes were perfection, his crosses precise to the millimetre. When the fourth official raised the board with his number 11 on it, Anfield stood as one, convinced they were through to the Champions League final already.
Perhaps that explains the mild air of trepidation as many left when the 90 minutes were up and the margins reduced.
It should not, however, detract from the mastery of what they had witnessed. We have seen performances like this in Europe before, but usually against our clubs and often by one man. You know the one. the little Argentine playing for Barcelona.
this was up there, though. this was Lionel Messi-like in its unstoppable brilliance. It is hard to make the case for Kevin De Bruyne as footballer of the year now. Hard even to think of too many others across Europe or the global game who have Salah’s measure and influence. there is every chance this spell of form ends on a stage in Zurich, not London.
Salah may well be the best there is, anywhere, right now and English football may have its first Ballon d’Or winner since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Salah would be the first recipient who is not Messi or Ronaldo since Kaka in 2007. And, yes, he is that good right now.
Liverpool? Well, this was astonishing even by their standards in Europe. Roma, we know, are lastfour opponents from left field. they are not European royalty, not even title contenders in Serie A.
Liverpool avoided Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and will be thankful for that. Yet Munich and Madrid will be thankful, too.
thankful they missed the competition’s form team, arguably its best player and certainly its most prolific scorers. true, Liverpool left the door slightly ajar by conceding two goals in the last 10 minutes, but even so this was a brilliant win. to score five — five! — at this stage in the tournament is remarkable, to play with such bravery and abandon doubly so. It is no coincidence that Liverpool’s victories follow a familiar pattern.
the way they race away from teams at crucial moments in the game is no accident. Liverpool work for this, plan for this. this is what Jurgen Klopp’s teams are about, these periods of extremity.
Liverpool score in torrents in Europe. It has been a quite incredible trait this season. there comes a moment in a game when they surge, when energy courses through Klopp’s team and they become close to uncontrollable.
they win matches, sometimes entire ties, in these brief passages. three goals in 11 minutes against Hoffenheim, four in 35 against Maribor, three in 14 against Spartak Moscow, three in 28 against Porto and — most memorably — three in 19 against Manchester City.
It was no different last night. From the 28th minute, when a quite wonderful bit of business from Roberto Firmino sent Sadio Mane through one on one, to the 68th minute, by which time Liverpool were five goals to the good, they found a booster button.
Roma had until then looked resilient, potentially problematic in a way City’s defence were not. In that 17-minute spell before halftime and the 23 that followed it, they appeared terrified. they could not handle the sheer ferocity of Liverpool’s attacking impetus, the speed, the will, the anger.
that’s right. Liverpool get angry in these moments, like Popeye after a tin of spinach, or the Incredible Hulk tearing through his clothing. Don’t get them angry. You won’t like them when they are angry.
Quite where this fury comes from is a mystery. It is as if Klopp has a secret sign, or a code word, ordering his team to unleash hell. Maybe he does.
Certainly when Liverpool have a good chance they seem to draw inspiration from it, whether successful or not. In Mane’s case, he missed an absolute sitter when put through by Firmino, shooting