SALAH SEES REDS HOME
And Spurs go through too thanks to Lucas strike
MO SALAH scored his fourth goal in just two games as Liverpool qualified for the Champions League knockout stages with victory over Napoli last night.
And Tottenham joined them in the last 16 after Lucas Moura’s goal four minutes from time handed them the result they needed against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
Spurs only needed to match Inter Milan’s result against PSV Eindhoven to progress from Group B. And even though they went behind to Ousmane Dembele’s goal in the seventh minute, Inter had gone a goal down in the 13th minute.
But as Spurs were missing a hatful of chances, Inter levelled through Mauro Icardi – meaning Spurs would be knocked out. Then with four minutes left, substitute Moura found the all-important equaliser. Salah’s goal at Anfield meant Liverpool remain unbeaten in 19 home games in Europe.
IN the end the margin was as fine as the nerves were frayed.
But on another tumultuous night at Anfield, Liverpool’s Champions League dream was kept alive by Mo Salah’s firsthalf strike at the expense of an excellent Napoli side.
Salah was magnificent and his 14th Champions League goal in 21 appearances in a red shirt saw his side into the knockout stages.
The result could have been so different had it not been for a crucial 92nd-minute pointblank save by Alisson from Piotr Zielinski.
But 1-0 was enough to go through and a draw would have seen the end of the dream.
After failing to win on their travels, Liverpool were once again thankful for the comforts of home on a riotously entertaining night on which the only negative was a caution for Virgil van Dijk which will see him miss the first leg of their last-16 clash next year.
Three defeats on the road in a stop-start Group C campaign had left Liverpool with a difficult tactical dilemma.
The maths may have been simple with them needing to win 1-0 or by two clear goals but even a slender lead is not a comfortable one to hold when one at the other end could sink you.
Jurgen Klopp summed up his thoughts in his programme notes, insisting his side did not feel they needed to win the tie in the first five minutes, calling for courage but responsibility.
The crowd, too, were well aware of their role in the piece and did their best to make the place as much of a bearpit as they could – even drowning out the Champions League anthem with one last rendition of their own as the whistle approached. If the build-up was electric, the opening exchanges of this highstakes poker game did not disappoint either.
Liverpool might have made the perfect start after seven minutes when Robertson exchanged a one-two and the full-back’s lofted return picked out the Egyptian unmarked around the penalty spot.
Unfortunately he failed in his attempt to control the ball, which rolled harmlessly towards a grateful David Ospina.
Napoli nearly made Liverpool pay immediately, Marek Hamsik blazing a shot just over a minute later. And there was frustration when Van Dijk was booked for a robust man and ball challenge on Dries Mertens after 13 minutes.
Yet as the half wore on, the direction of travel was going only one way and with most of Liverpool’s threat coming down the right through Salah, it was no surprise that it was he who eventually broke the deadlock.
James Milner had gone close with a header and Sadio Mane had the ball in the net only to be correctly ruled offside but the pressure was growing and just after the half hour, Salah struck.
Trent Alexander-Arnold threaded the ball through the inside right channel which Salah raced on to, and, with the angle narrowing, slotted the ball through the legs of Ospina.
If Anfield erupted they were reminded of the fragile nature of their advantage and Mertens might have punished them with a better first touch just before half-time. The pace of the match as furious throughout with both sides technical ability
tested to the limit. But it was Liverpool who both dominated and carved out the better chances.
Carlo Ancelotti used his three subsitutes inside eight minutes after the hour mark taking off Mertens and going for a more direct approach through the towering Zielinski.
It gave Napoli a focal point but they could not break Liverpool down. Indeed the Reds might have had a second when Robertson put the ball on a plate for Mane only for his falling shot to be kept out at close range by Ospina. In truth two-nil would not have made much difference and Napoli almost made them pay late only for Alisson to save them.
Breathless stuff but they are still alive.