Stone-faced striker is just fine, insists jubilant Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP insisted his star striker Mo Salah is absolutely fine even though he failed to show even a flicker of emotion at either of his goals against Red Star Belgrade.
The prolific Egyptian finished a precise Xherdan Shaqiri pass before a second-half penalty brought up his 50th goal for the club in only 65 games — faster than any player in the club’s history.
Salah, however, was expressionless throughout but Klopp said: ‘He’s completely fine. It’s all good. I couldn’t see his face when he scored but I know he’s fine. I saw his face when I took him off — that was different!’
Salah, who said he was ‘very proud’ to reach the landmark, promised there is more to come. ‘I want to keep scoring and helping the team to win games,’ said the 26-year-old. ‘Today was a bit tough at the beginning but we know how to play with each other. We know our quality and we are happy with each other.’
Klopp paid tribute to Salah’s team-mates. ‘I think he would say thanks to them!’ he said. ‘But 50 goals is an exceptional number, hopefully he can continue.’
Salah, who scored a staggering 44 goals in all competitions last season, had been criticised for a relatively sluggish start to this campaign. However, on a night the power went out in the main stand, he put in an electric performance.
Klopp added: ‘ It was a good football game, a deserved win — and that’s all we wanted. The plan was to start pretty direct, to go for second balls. We didn’t know exactly how they would defend. We didn’t want to start in small spaces because we would not be lively enough.
‘Then we calmed the game down, we played football, created some good chances and it was a really good game, I enjoyed it a lot. They defended with big heart so it can be so difficult but it wasn’t in the end.’
Red Star manager Vladan Milojevic congratulated Liverpool on a night when Red Star fans were banned from attending as punishment for a pitch invasion at an August play-off in Salzburg. Milojevic added: ‘You’ll see what our supporters are like when you come to Belgrade.’