Liverpool downs RB Leipzig in Budapest to end losing streak
BUDAPEST: Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were on target to snap a threematch losing run as their side stunned RB Leipzig 20 in the Champions League Round of 16 firstleg yesterday.
Jurgen Klopp has written off his team’s chances of winning backtoback Premier League titles after it lost three successive domestic matches, but it is alive in Europe.
Liverpool gained a clear advantage in its tie going into the March 10 return leg thanks to two blunders by Leipzig.
Salah easily intercepted a back pass by Leipzig’s Marcel Sabitzer to put the Reds ahead in the 53rd minute and on course for their first win in any competition since late January.
Mane then pounced on another mistake when Nordi Mukiele failed to clear a long ball five minutes later, leaving the Germans stunned in Budapest’s Puskas Arena, where the game had been relocated due to Covid19 restrictions in Germany. ‘‘It was an important game for us, a tough game,’’ Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said.
‘‘Keeping a clean sheet was important for us. We just want to keep going and keep fighting every time we play. There have been a lot of difficult situations throughout the season, but we’ve just got to take each game as it comes and take things one step at a time.
‘‘A good win but it’s only half the job done,’’ he added.